A New Home, A New Life, A New Love?
by Snazziest
Summary: "For the first time since I've come here, the homesickness is gone. That's because of you. You feel like home." She had never been alone before, but Annie knew she could no longer live a lie. The city was not for her. It was time for a new life, and she chose the path of a farmer in Oak Tree Town.
1. A New Home

My first attempt at writing FanFiction! I hope that you all enjoy the first chapter! :) I will be updating regularly.

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own Story of Seasons or any of its characters. They were produced and are owned by Marvelous.

* * *

The breeze was warm with a hint of the coming summer heat as it brushed over the farmland, rustling the leaves of the apple tree. Annie sat, physically exerted after a long day's work, leaning on the rough bark of the tree. The afternoon's heat had not yet broken, and although clouds were beginning to gather in the sky, the sun remained hot on her farm.

The farm had only been Annie's for about a week now, but she already knew it would feel like home to her soon. She had hardly been to town, since she was so busy clearing her farm and beginning to grow her crops. The only times she had been to town were when Fritz, an energetic young farmer, had dragged her there enthusiastically. He had shown her where to buy seeds and tools, where the best fishing spots were, and where traders came to sell their wares and buy shipments of farm goods. That seemed a bit far off from where she was now, as she only had a small amount of money to her name, and only a few animals and crops.

She gazed over to her field and watched her cow, Hanako, grazing calmly, accompanied by her two chickens, Husk and Chip. Hanako had been a gift from a very kind old lady named Eda, who had shown her the basics of farming and been her first real friend in the country. The chickens and coop she had bought with a big chunk of the money she had brought with her from the city. It was a good investment, she thought. They were fine, healthy young hens to start her farm off with.

The breeze picked up suddenly, blowing Annie's dark blonde hair wildly. She shivered slightly in the cool shade. She stood up, brushing dirt off her jeans. Her pretty hazel eyes squinted against the sunlight, and she stretched luxuriously. All of a sudden she heard a soft mewing from above her, and looked up to see a small orange tabby cat sitting on a swaying branch of the apple tree, its fur bristling. "Oh!" She felt her heart clench as the wind shook the branch that the poor thing had its claws dug into. "Hold on!"

Annie looked around, but she couldn't find anything to help her get to the cat. She'd have to climb the tree.

She wrapped her hands around the lowest branch and laced her fingers together on the other side, then firmly pulled herself up. Another gust of wind plowed into the tree, and she squatted on the branch to steady herself. She looked up to see orange fur. The cat was still holding on. She looked past it and saw that the sun was gone, and clouds were rushing past as the wind picked up. It looked like a storm was coming.

Annie grabbed the next branch up, hauling herself onto it. She stood up, holding onto the branches for stability, and reached for the small feline. It mewled at her as she grabbed its scruff and pulled it off the branch. "Hey, it's okay, little one," she cooed softly at the poor creature. Suddenly the wind gusted again, and she felt herself lose her balance.

"Oh shi-" Annie's breath flew out of her as she felt herself falling backwards. The cat struggled loose and jumped from her grasp. She didn't see where it landed as her body plummeted down. She shut her eyes and braced herself for impact, then felt a searing pain in her right wrist as her arm hit the dirt, her body on top of it. She gasped in pain, nausea bubbling up inside her at the sharp sensation. "Ohh..." She groaned, clutching her arm to her chest.

"Annie!" Veronica, the lady who worked at the Guild, rushed along the dirt path toward Annie. She often visited her farm to see how she was getting along. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Cat..." Annie murmured, glancing weakly in the direction of an orange blur disappearing into the bushes on the edge of her farmland. "Was stuck in the tree."

Veronica's face was full of concern as she laid her hand on Annie's shoulder. "We should get you looked at. I'll take you to Marian, he's the doctor here." Annie nodded numbly, still holding her arm to her chest. It was throbbing still, and she felt light headed as Veronica helped her to her feet.

By the time they got to the clinic in town, a steady drizzle had begun, and the day no longer seemed warm. As they entered the clinic, Annie let out a sneeze, shivering from the rain and wind. "Marian!" Isabelle called out. Annie looked up to see someone emerge from a back door past the Guild room. Her eyes widened as she took in the heavily made up face and bright pink hair. This was a doctor? "Annie, this is Marian, he's the doctor here. Marian, this is Annie. The new farmer. She has injured her wrist."

Marian strutted toward the two of them, and wrapped his arm around Annie. She shrunk back from the doctor as the strong scent of perfume made her feel light headed again. "Hello, Annie. Follow me, if you please." He led them to the back door and they entered the clinic.

To her surprise, there was already a very loud someone in the room. Fritz sat on the edge of the bed, an IV in his arm. "No, REALLY, I'm FINE now," he announced loudly to a small woman in a nurse uniform.

The nurse sighed. "You are recovering from sunstroke, at least stay until tomorrow," she pleaded nervously.

Fritz rolled his eyes. "Yeah but it's raining now! So my sunstroke won't come back, right?" He stated like it was obvious.

The nurse looked thoroughly fed up as Marian guided Annie into the room. "You're very dehydrated-"

"Annie!" Fritz grinned as she walked in. "What's up?"

Annie stared at Fritz' red face and arms. "What happened?"

Fritz probably would have been visibly blushing had it not been red already. "Oh, uh.. I fell asleep. By the river. It was SOOOO nice out, and warm and stuff. I'm fine though. Really." He glanced at the nurse. "Angela, can I pleeeease go now?"

Marian chuckled at the young farmer. "You do appear to have improved." Fritz' face lit up happily until the doctor continued. "BUT.. I cannot let you walk home alone after your incident today. Do you have someone to walk you home?"

Fritz grumbled childishly. Annie let out a laugh. "Maybe Veronica could take you home? She just came here with me."

"That's an idea. Angela, please go see if Veronica will accompany him," Marian said.

Angela nodded and left the room. Marian turned to Annie. "Alright, have a seat, dear. Let's have a look at you." He gestured to a chair and then gently took Annie's arm and examined it. "How bad is the pain now, on a scale of 1-10?"

"5," Annie stated.

"Alrighty then. I think you've simply sprained your wrist, dear. Hurts like a bitch but it will only take a few weeks to heal, most likely." Annie's eyes widened at the doctor's unprofessional language, but he continued. "You'll have to wear a wrist brace and keep your arm in a sling, and ice it if it swells. Also, take it easy on the farm work until it's healed up. Alrighty, sweetheart?"

Annie nodded. Angela returned, saying Veronica would take him home now, and Fritz bolted upright, yanking the IV pole along with his arm. Angela rolled her eyes and sat him back down to remove his IV, while telling him he needed to drink plenty of fluids at home. She then led Fritz out as he shouted goodbyes and good lucks to Annie loud enough to wake the neighbours. Annie winced and waved goodbye.

Marian left the room to get her a brace and sling. Annie leaned back in her chair, still holding her arm. A while passed as she sat, when suddenly a crack of lightning split the sky outside the window. She sighed. It would be an unpleasant walk home. Good thing that Fritz was likely home already, though, since he lived closer to town than she did.

Marian returned, and carefully fitted braces to her until one fit her wrist well. He put it firmly but gently around her wrist and then tied it in a sling around her neck. "There we are, sweetie. Nice and snug. Although I am going to suggest you stay the night here anyway, even though your injury isn't bad. The weather is simply horrendous and I do not think you should walk home in it." Annie nodded and accepted gratefully.

Marian handed her a dry hospital gown and changed the bed sheets. "I also had a chat with the nice young chef next door, and he offered to help you with your chores in the morning." Annie nodded again, grateful she wouldn't have to struggle through her chores with her wrong arm. The doctor left her to her room, so Annie changed into the light gown, hung her damp clothes over the chair to dry, and settled into bed. Her wrist still throbbed faintly, and she could hear rain and wind viciously slamming the window. She sighed, feeling pangs of homesickness after a disappointing day.

* * *

Annie awoke to the chattering of birds outside the clinic window, and faint sunlight shining in. She rubbed the blurriness from her eyes and stretched, then began getting dressed, careful to avoid straining her wrist. At least the rain had stopped; Maybe today would be a better day.

A knock sounded on the door to her room. Annie called out to come in, and Marian stepped in. "How are we today, dear? Alright? Raeger is here. He's going to help you with your farm this morning." Annie peered past the doctor to the Guild room and saw him. Her eyes widened as she realized how handsome he was.

Raeger had medium-length brown hair, which was a little messy but still suited him. He appeared a few inches taller than she was, and had pronounced cheekbones, but soft features. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and jeans. Marian led her out and introduced them.

"Hello, Annie. I'm Raeger." He extended a hand and smiled at her, appearing even more attractive. Now that she was closer, she noticed he had bright blue, sensitive eyes. She felt blush creep to her cheeks and looked a little away from his eyes as she took his hand and quietly said she was pleased to meet him. They waved goodbye to Marian, then stepped outside.

Annie felt very self-conscious as she walked in front of him out of the building. Suddenly walking properly seemed to take effort. He walked beside her down the brick path that lead out of town, and she could feel the awkward silence between them. Glancing sideways, she noted that he looked unruffled. She took a shaky breath. "So... a white shirt for farm work?" She blurted without thinking.

Raeger laughed, and Annie felt heat across her cheeks again. "Well you've only just started farming, there isn't too much to do, is there?"

She realized how unimpressive her farm was going to look to him, since he had most likely seen the other farms around. Suddenly farm work with only one good arm seemed great. "Yeah, I guess. Well I mean.. You don't have to help, if you don't want."

He shook his head. "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to leave you to do it by yourself with your arm in a sling, would it? It's my pleasure, Annie."

Annie felt her cheeks warm yet again at the sound of his voice saying her name. _Ugh, hopefully he thinks I just have a sunburn..._

They reached the dirt path to her farm. "So how many animals do you have?" He asked.

"A cow, and two chickens. Not much, I know, but I've got a few crops too."

Raeger seemed to sense she was uncomfortable and met her gaze as he said, "Everyone has to start somewhere, Annie. Don't worry, I don't judge." Annie felt a little bit of tension release at his words - Although her cheeks still burned.

As they walked up to her farm, Annie showed him the few turnip and potato plants she had growing in her field, and the chicken coop and barn. She led him to the chest where she kept her tools, and listed off the list of chores she had only just started getting used to herself. He smiled and nodded occasionally, then set off to work. She watched as he mucked out the barn and coop, but decided she could at least water her crops with one arm. She was just finishing up and putting away her watering can when she heard Raeger's sound of alarm.

"Hey..!" Raeger was crouched down in the coop, feeding the chickens. Annie rushed over to see a flurry of white feathers and loud clucks as he shielded his face. She also saw a blur of orange behind the birds. Was it..?

Annie ran into the coop and grabbed the little orange cat. She could see now that it was a male. "Hello again." She grinned as he looked at her with huge green eyes. "What a handsome fellow." The cat rubbed his face on her cheek.

"Oh, is he yours?" Raeger asked, swatting feathers out of his hair.

"No, but I saw him yesterday too. He's the reason I injured my wrist." Annie told the story of what had happened the day before.

"Well he sure seems to like your farm, then. A little bit of a troublemaker though."

Annie laughed. "I like him."

Raeger smiled at her and she nearly dropped the cat. _Stop doing that,_ she thought.

"Are all the chores done?" He asked her. She nodded, almost wishing there were more. "Great. I've got to get to work at the restaurant. I open in an hour and I'm a mess." His white dress shirt was covered in muck from the barn, and small white feathers clung to him. Annie stifled a laugh.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Annie." He leaned forward and Annie stopped breathing. His hand went to the side of her face, and brushed a feather out of her hair. He gave her a smile, said goodbye, and began walking back to Oak Tree Town. Annie bid him goodbye, her heart rate higher than normal, and watched as he walked away.

When he was out of sight, she walked to her house, still holding the tabby tomcat. "Do you want to stay here?" She asked the little feline. He was purring in her arms. She smiled and put him down, then went to her fridge and took out a few pieces of leftover fish, setting it out for him. He bent over it, sniffing, then gulped it down quickly. Annie petted his messy but soft fur while he ate. "I think I'll call you Rusty. Okay?" He finished his fish then pushed his head into her hand, demanding more petting. She laughed and obliged.

While she cleaned up, Rusty curled up on her material bin and washed himself. Meanwhile, Annie's thoughts kept drifting back to Raeger. _And I'll get to see him tomorrow!_ She thought, and realized he would likely come help her as long as her wrist took to heal. She felt a happy flutter in her chest at the thought. Her homesickness seemed far away now.


	2. A Night Out

I was so excited to be writing this story that I had to write the second chapter and upload it tonight! I made an effort to create a longer chapter filled with more RaegerXAnnie fluff, as well as some jealousy too. Dakoda is a character I made up, but she is based on one of the girls in Raeger's yellow heart event in the game.

I will continue to upload regularly!

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

* * *

Sure enough, the next morning, Raeger came back to do Annie's chores, this time dressed more appropriately in a brown T-shirt and old jeans. Annie had already watered her few crops before he had arrived, so she didn't have much to do. She sat inside, holding ice (which Raeger had brought for her) against her sprained wrist. It had swollen considerably, so she had taken the brace off to apple ice. It still hurt her if she moved it at all, so she was careful as she held it still on the dining room table.

Rusty seemed to have wandered off, but that was to be expected of a feral cat, Annie supposed. Hopefully he would come back and get used to the place, so she wouldn't have to be alone in her home. She sighed, wanting to be doing things outside instead of sitting here icing her sprained wrist. A red-winged blackbird fluttered up to her windowsill, whistling a slurred but cheery _terrr-eeeee _and taunting her with its freedom.

After what seemed like an hour, Annie decided her wrist would be fine and placed her brace back on, then put the ice away in her freezer. She struggled into her bright red sweater, since the storm seemed to have brought a cold front with it. She grumbled at the lump her wrist brace was making underneath the sleeve over her right arm, and pulled the sleeve up to rest behind the brace. There, nice and attractive.

Her gaze sweeping the material bin where clumps of orange Rusty fur remained, Annie walked outside, and collided directly with Raeger, her covered wrist wedged between their bodies.

Annie made a startled noise, half surprise and half pain. Heat seemed to spread throughout her whole body as her nose made impact with Raeger's chin. But mostly, her wrist seared with pain. "Shit, shit, shit.." She winced in pain as she backed quickly away from him and grasped her wrist to her chest.

"Oh man, are you alright? I was just coming in, I didn't see you," Raeger said apologetically, concern scrunching his brow.

"It's fine, it's... Oh, shit." Annie began to feel dizzy and shut her eyes, feeling Raeger's hand on her uninjured arm, gently guiding her inside.

She sat down on her unmade bed (dealing with sheets with only one hand was difficult, and the least of her problems) and leaned back into her pillow. Letting out the breath she had been holding, she began to relax. "Thanks, Raeger." She looked over at him.

He was pulling up a chair from the dining room table, and he sat beside her bed. "Of course. My fault anyway," he stated. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Annie laughed. She hadn't been either. Being cooped up with her injured wrist was numbing her mind. "So how were the chickens today?"

"Messy," he said, but not grumpily. "How did you decide to start farming? Fritz told me you moved here from the city, and taking care of this farm must be very different."

"It is, but it's worth it, I think." Annie remembered the busy, bustling city, and the unfriendly people. The pollution, like a constant grey fog, made it difficult to breathe there, but out here in the country she felt how clean the air was. It was like she could finally think straight. "I'm not a city person. Too busy there."

"Wasn't it hard to leave your family?"

"Yeah, but it was harder to stay. I went to school there and had friends and everything too, but I think they all knew as well as I did that the city didn't feel like home to me."

Raeger's bright blue eyes regarded her patiently as she spoke, then he nodded and smiled. "I know what you mean. I lived in the city too, with my parents when I was a teenager. I grew up here though, with my grandfather, and never could seem to get used to the noise of the city. The air is healthier here."

Annie smiled back at him as he said pretty much exactly what was on her mind. She was surprised to feel a connection already with this near-stranger. It was the first personal talk she'd had with someone from Oak Tree Town, since Fritz didn't really count. He did all the talking, and Annie listened. But Raeger was such a good listener, not to mention really fun to look at. He was so handsome, and his eyes were so sincere, so blue...

She realized she was staring at him, her mouth open slightly. She snapped it shut. "Uhm," she started not-so-smoothly. "What about you? How did you leave your family, I mean."

Raeger's smile faltered visibly. "It wasn't hard for me to leave. I lost my family. My parents when I was sixteen, and my grandfather two years ago."

Annie's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry... I can't even imagine..."

He raised a hand to stop her. "It was a long time ago, don't worry about it."

"But it would still feel weird for you, wouldn't it?"

Raeger threw her a sidelong glance. "Yeah, it sucks."

She stopped pressing him, and fiddled with her wrist brace awkwardly as she tried to think of something to say. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry."

His gentle smile returned. "It's alright, I've gotten used to it for the most part. I've got my grandfather's restaurant to keep me busy."

She nodded, still feeling sad for him.

"But I'll have a family of my own someday, and it won't be so bad."

Thoughts of being part of his new family creeped into Annie's mind, but she snapped herself back to reality quickly, feeling embarrassed. She barely knew this man. What was she doing? His attractive appearance and welcoming smile made her do and think weird things.

Raeger sat up, taking the chair back to the table. "Well, I'd better be going. Gotta get things together before the restaurant opens. Will you be alright?"

Standing up with him, Annie replied, "Yes, I'll be fine. Thank you so much. For your help, and for sitting with me."

"You're most welcome." He smiled, then opened the front door to let himself out. He paused.

"Are you busy tonight?"

Annie's heart skipped a beat. Was he going to ask her out? "N-no."

Raeger offered one of his best dapper smiles. "I'm going to the bar at the inn with some friends tonight, after I close up the restaurant around 9:30. Want to come?"

"Sure, that sounds great!" She only felt a little disappointment that it wasn't a date. At least he wanted to see her, and not just to help her with chores. "I'll meet you there?"

"Sounds good." Raeger stepped outside. "See you tonight, Annie!" He said as he shut the door behind him.

* * *

The clock on her nightstand read 8:41. Annie had laid out several various possible outfits for her outing tonight, and was unable to decide if wearing her blue waterfall style shirt was too much. She was worried she might dress too differently and stand out among the people who were going to the bar, and she wanted to make a good first impression. She also wanted to impress Raeger, but tried not to admit it to herself. _It isn't a date,_ she reminded herself. _Just dress normally._

With one last sweeping glance over the outfit choices, she decided to play it safe. She grabbed her red sweater she'd had on earlier. She stepped in front of the mirror, smoothing her hair down with her left hand. She had put on makeup for the first time in months, and the addition of black eyeliner made her green eyes stand out beautifully. But not to impress Raeger, she had told herself. She just wanted to look nice when meeting the other residents in town.

Annie sighed. It had been so long since she had gone out somewhere with a boy she fancied, even if it wasn't a date. Her last real date had been when she was sixteen, with her boyfriend at the time. She was twenty now. She had never been out drinking, either.

She looked down at her jeans she was wearing, and observed a grass stain wearily. Peeling them off of her legs awkwardly with one hand, she threw them in the dirty pile and instead pulled her black skinny jeans out of her dresser and squeezed into them. One last look in the mirror and she was satisfied. She thought she looked good, but not fancy.

The clock read 8:52 now. It usually took her about 20 minutes to walk to town, and Annie didn't want to arrive before Raeger. He would probably be the only person there she knew, and she wanted to avoid any awkward situations. She settled on her bed to wait a bit, when she heard scratching at the door. The hair on her neck rose. It was quite late, and she was by herself.

"Hello?" Annie called uncertainly. "Who's there?"

She walked quietly and slowly to the door, listening.

_Scratch, scratch, scratch. Mrrrrrowr?_

Annie let out her breath with a relieved laugh. She opened the door and was greeted by the small orange feline. _Mrrreeeowr?_ He purred, rubbing on her leg. "Hello again, Rusty." Annie welcomed him, scooping him up and cuddling him. She carried him to the fridge where she took some fish pieces out for him.

After Rusty was done gobbling his food, he joined Annie on her bed while she waited to go out. He had fallen asleep in the crook of her bent knee. She looked down, realizing with a jolt that her black jeans were now covered with orange fur.

Groaning, Annie got up, leaving Rusty to her bed and glancing at the clock. 9:05. She went to her dresser in search of a change of pants, but found that everything was dirty. Great.

She walked to the bathroom, looking for anything that could help her, quick - she needed to leave soon. She ran her good hand under water from the tap, and scrubbed at the fur sticking to the material. She only succeeded in removing a small amount, so she rinsed her hand again and returned to scrubbing.

Not only did it not work, her jeans were now quite wet. _Genius._ She smacked herself mentally.

Annie grabbed for her blow dryer, switching it on high and drying her legs as fast as she could. When she was done, she observed the remaining orange tufts with fury. She rooted through her bathroom cabinet for something -anything at this point - that would help. She got an idea then, and ran to her nightstand. Opening it, she pulled out a roll of duct tape.

She ripped a long piece of the tape off, and proceeded to stick it to her pants repeatedly, and pull it away, removing the fur. It took five pieces of tape before she was satisfied with her appearance. Finally. She checked the time.

9:39.

_Damn it._ Annie rushed to the door, grabbed her purse and slipped into her shoes. She ran out the door, and began a steady jog to town.

By the time she made it to the inn, it must have been nearing midnight. She groaned inwardly, hoping she wouldn't mess up her chance at a good first impression with Raeger's friends. She approached the inn door, and entered, trying to catch her breath. She located the bar easily, and approached the group of people sitting there.

"-and then I told him I'd had enough. I waited too long to kick his sorry ass out the door! I need a real man." A tall, beautiful blonde girl was perched on the edge of her bar stool, grinning from ear to ear and leaning in close to Raeger, who sat beside her. Several empty shot glasses and cocktails sat on the bar.

Annie felt a strange stab of jealousy at this attractive girl's closeness to Raeger. She shook it off and walked up to the group. "Hey!"

Five pairs of eyes turned to her, only two familiar to Annie. Raeger returned her "Hey!" and she recognized Fritz as he shouted a greeting at her as well. Two other girls, both brunettes, sat with them. The blonde regarded her briefly before turning back to Raeger. "As I was saying-" She began.

"Glad you could make it," Raeger told Annie. "This is Dakoda," He nodded at the blonde girl next to him. "She's from out of town. And this is Agate, and Licorice." The two brunette girls smiled at Annie, said hello, and moved over to allow her a seat between Dakoda and Agate.

Dakoda, looking unimpressed at Raeger's interruption, glanced back to Annie. "Get her a drink. Actually here, take this shot. Tequila." She pushed a shot glass full of pale yellow liquid toward her.

"Thanks." Annie smiled, and watched Raeger's eyes and Dakoda's smirk widen as she put the glass to her lips and drank the contents of it. She immediately felt a strong burning down her throat, and she fought the urge to gag or vomit, she wasn't sure.

"You're supposed to lick salt first." Dakoda laughed loudly at her.

Agate was smiling too, but handed her a lemon wedge. "This'll help."

Annie sunk her teeth into the fruit, sucking the sour juice out. It did help a little, but she felt a bit sick.

"First time drinking?" The other brunette, Licorice, asked her. She had a gentle voice, and seemed friendly.

"Yeah, guess I can't hide that now," Annie answered, smiling sheepishly.

She watched as Raeger licked salt off his hand before taking his shot of tequila, then chomped a lemon wedge. He shook his head slightly. "Yeah, I think that's probably enough alcohol." He laughed, a little louder than Annie had heard him before. He seemed very outgoing tonight.

"Nahh, don't be a lightweight! Come on, Raeger..." Dakoda teased him, still leaning close. Annie gritted her teeth, trying not to be annoyed.

Fritz slapped Raeger on the back. "It's okay to be a lightweight, buddy!" He slurred. Clearly he was a lightweight as well, as there were only three empty shot glasses in front of him, and his speech was off.

"I'm not a lightweight, I just want to be able to walk home without cracking my head off the pavement. Even if it is almost next door." Raeger laughed.

Dakoda brushed her hand along his arm. "Yeah, we don't want you like last time... You could barely keep yourself up without being all over me." Even Fritz was rolling his eyes at her comments.

Annie turned away, facing Agate and Licorice. "So, are there any other drinks I could try?"

"Oh sure, we'll start you off on something a little weaker than tequila," Agate reassured her. "Maurice! A long island iced tea over here."

"Coming right up," came the loud reply from the tall man who was washing a cocktail glass by the sink. Two minutes later, he slid a glass filled with brown liquid and ice cubes to her. She thanked him, then took a sip. It tasted quite good, definitely much better than the shot she had taken.

"I haven't seen you around before, Annie," said Agate. "How long have you been in town?"

She put down her drink. "Just about a week. I'm living on the farm at the other end of the river."

Licorice joined in the conversation. "Oh, right next to Eda's property then. It's good to know that land isn't going to waste. It really is beautiful up there."

Annie agreed, and the three chatted about how she would love Oak Tree Town. They were describing the different vendors that visited town, but she was having difficulty focusing as she could hear Dakoda flirting shamelessly (and drunkenly, Annie assumed) with Raeger. He wasn't exactly flirting back, but he wasn't stopping her either. It was bothering Annie quite a bit, more than she would admit to anyone seated at the bar.

Agate and Licorice noticed her attention faltering, and they looked at Raeger, then back at her. Raeger, back at her.

_Do you like him?_ Agate mouthed to her. Annie shook her head quickly, her eyes wide, and blush creeping across her cheeks. She didn't even want to like him right now. There was no way she was going to confess that she had feelings for him to two near-strangers.

By the time it was nearing 1:00am, Annie was struggling to stifle yawns. She had drank two long island iced teas, and even had a few shots of various things with the group. Everytime Raeger had tried to join in the girls' conversation, though, Dakoda found a way to drag his attention away from Annie. Although she was glad she was meeting more people in town, she had very much wanted to spend time with Raeger this evening.

Raeger stretched his mouth wide in a yawn, at which Dakoda giggled. "Someone's sleepy. Should we get you home? Or rather, us home? My place is so far, I don't think I'm going to leave tonight. I can just come with you, right?" She winked.

"Well I should definitely be heading home, I've gotta get up early. Dakoda, you're staying with Agate tonight, remember?" He was slurring a bit, but Annie was relieved that he didn't seem to want Dakoda spending the night at his place.

Dakoda sniffed. "Fine. You can play hard to get all you want, but we both know where this is going. Agate, come on." She swung her purse over her shoulder and marched to the door, stumbling only slightly. Agate raised an eyebrow at the remainder of the group, then got up and followed.

Raeger didn't watch Dakoda go, but instead turned his attention to Annie. "Sorry, she can be a little bit.." He stifled a yawn. "You know." Annie laughed. She sure could be a little "you know".

She got up from her stool, and felt the world tip. "Whoa.." She gasped, grabbing the stool for balance.

Licorice and Raeger both reached out to steady her. Licorice smiled kindly at her. "We'll get you home, don't worry. Right, Raeger?" She looked pointedly at him.

He looked up. "Oh, yeah. Of course. Let's go, Annie."

Licorice walked around the bar and grabbed Fritz' arm, who was sleeping face down on the bar counter. He awoke, confused, and stumbled after her as Licorice said her goodbyes and made her way out of the bar to go home. She seemed the least drunk out of the group.

Raeger stood up, and visibly grabbed the bar counter, losing his balance as well. Annie giggled at his clumsiness.

"Oh yeah, think it's funny?" He poked her in the ribs playfully, to which Annie's giggle changed to a loud laugh. "You're ticklish?" Raeger dug his fingertips into her side, and she felt tears well up in her eyes as she shrieked with laughter.

Maurice, the bartender, came over. "I'm closing up here, guys," he told them, but not unkindly.

Annie wiped the tears from her eyes and stepped away from the bar. The world swirled deceivingly in front of her. She felt an arm wrap around her waist, and looked over as Raeger pressed his side into hers. For once, there was no embarrassment, just happiness at his closeness. She leaned into him as he helped her walk to the door.

They walked out into the cold night. Annie shivered.

"Here, take my jacket." Raeger took off his dark green jacket and wrapped it around her. He then returned his arm to her waist, and walked with her. They walked up to a colourful-looking restaurant a few doors down, and he struggled with his keys until one fit in the lock.

Annie giggled drunkenly. "I don't live here, silly."

"I do." Raeger grinned at her, his messy hair making him look cute as well as handsome.

Well that sounded fine, then. Annie followed him in. Only then did she realize she should be getting home to go to bed, and this wasn't home. "Well, I'll be going now." She walked to the door.

"Hey, no you're not. You're as drunk as me. It isn't safe." His face looked worried in the most adorably serious way. Well that settled that. She stepped away from the door.

"I stay upstairs, above the restaurant," he explained as he led her up the stairs. They walked into his bedroom, which was quite large, and had a window open. Very cold air was blowing in, and the room's temperature was quite low. "Oh, oops." He closed it.

Annie had her arms wrapped tight to her body, the hair on her arms rising under her sweater and his jacket. Raeger leaned into his closet and pulled out two warm comforters, and threw one on the bed, the other on the floor.

"You can take the bed," he told her.

"Thanks." Annie smiled, her eyes feeling very heavy.

Raeger settled on the carpet as Annie stumbled into the bed and fell in. She wrapped herself up in the thick blanket, her teeth chattering. She heard Raeger moving around, then felt a slight weight at the side of the bed.

"You're drunk." He poked her on the nose. He was leaning his elbows on the mattress, facing her.

Annie giggled. Wow, alcohol made her giggly. And silly. But that just made her giggle more. "So are you, mister!"

He reached forward, grabbing her right hand. He squeezed, and she yelped.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, Annie." Raeger lifted her braced wrist to his lips, and placed a small kiss on her hand. Annie felt like her face was on fire, but she was still smiling at him, not breaking eye contact in the dim room. Her teeth chattered on.

"Are you cold?" He asked her.

She laughed softly through the chattering. "Obviously."

Annie knew Raeger was smiling as he pulled himself clumsily into bed with her. Somewhere deep down, Annie probably knew she should feel embarrassed at being in a man's bed when she barely knew him. But in her drunken state, that thought was way, way far away.

Raeger pulled the comforter over both of them, and nestled in close to her, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She sighed into his chest, feeling the warmth of his body envelope her. The fluttering in her chest felt incredible, and she nuzzled as close to him as she could. She could smell wind, alcohol and a bit of sweat on his shirt. But that was nice too, in a way. It was his scent. He clutched her close to him.

"Better?" Raeger mumbled sleepily.

"Mhmm."

"Goodnight, Annie."

"'Night, Raeger."


	3. An Apology

Hello! My apologies for how long this update took. I typed it up on the writer app on my phone and kept forgetting it needed sent to my computer to be edited. But here it is!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Annie awoke to strong arms wrapped around her. She opened her eyes and blinked, confused, until she looked up and saw his face. Raeger's handsome features were softened in his sleep, his mouth slightly open as he snored softly. His hair was messy, with several locks spread over his forehead. Annie realized that although he was a hardworking, confident man, he was very much alone. No family. Living by himself. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, and huddled closer. Raeger stirred slightly, and Annie heard the sound of polyester material rustling quietly, noticing that she fell asleep in his jacket. The events of the past night came back to her, and Annie flushed as she remembered him offering his jacket to her. Wrapping his arm around her. Getting into bed with her, his lips so close...

Annie realized how close her lips were to his now, at the same time she noticed his eyes were open. He blinked sleepily at her, pulling away.

"Morning," Annie murmured bashfully, now realizing the intimacy of their situation. Raeger looked at her, and she was taken aback at the lack of happiness in his eyes.

He swallowed, not meeting her gaze. "Uhm, you should go," he stated abruptly, unwrapping her from his arms.

Annie felt disappointment well up in her chest, and a prickling feeling behind her eyes as tears threatened to appear. She blinked them away quickly, and pulled herself out of his sheets. Standing, she felt him get up, too. She glared at the wall, willing herself not to cry, then took off his jacket and turned to hand it to him.

Raeger was already walking away toward the bathroom without another word to her. Feeling choked, Annie threw the jacket on his bed and walked downstairs and out the front door, into bright sunlight that only made her feel worse.

Walking quickly, she made her way back to her farm without looking back at the restaurant, though part of her wanted to. Her lips were quivering as she reached home. She must have imagined the connection between them. Or had she done something foolish last night in front of him, and now he wanted nothing to do with her?

Whipping open the bathroom door, Annie stripped herself, throwing her clothes to the floor. She lowered herself in the bathtub and turned on the water as hot as she could stand it, letting it wash away Raeger's scent from her skin.

Submerging all of herself in the steaming water, Annie let her disappointment overwhelm her. Homesickness stabbed her gut again, finally pushing her tears out with an ugly sounding sob. _No. No, this is foolish_, she thought. _I will not get this worked up about a guy I just met_. She felt a few tendrils of shame creep up on her. She'd spent the night in the bed of a man she hardly knew. It wasn't like her at all. She refused to be that person.

Wiping her tears away with new determination, Annie pulled the plug and got out of the tub. She dried herself quickly, then dressed in clothes suitable for farm work. No way was she going to keep letting Raeger do her chores for her. She could do this.

Annie started with watering her crops, which she had already gotten used to doing with her injured wrist. It took a bit longer than usual, and when she finished, she started caring for her animals. Upon entering the barn, Hanako greeted her happily. "Long time no see, eh?" She patted the cow on the shoulder. She had been brushed very thoroughly and was in great condition, Annie noted with a stab of annoyance. Raeger had been more thorough even than she usually was.

After feeding Hanako and the chickens, who also seemed happy to see her, she sat down on a stool next to Hanako to milk her. Her determination faltered a little bit at the thought of milking with one hand, but she attempted it anyway. A _brrrruuup_ sounded beside her, and she looked over to see that Rusty had returned. He sat next to her, licking his lips. Annie smiled at the little cat, and poured a bit of milk into a second bucket, for lack of a smaller container. Rusty stood on his hind legs, staring at the frothy white liquid in the bucket. He reached a paw in and tentatively smacked it, then licked it from his paw. "You're a real weirdo, huh?" Annie ruffled the fur on his head affectionately as he smacked his paw into the milk again.

The last few spurts of milk filled the bucket to the halfway mark. Annie winced as she flexed her sore hand. That was all she could do today. She barely filled a jar and a half with it, then dumped the last few drops into Rusty's bucket. He licked his lips appreciatively.

Annie wiped beads of sweat from her forehead. The heat of the day was creeping up on the mountainside slowly but surely. Not to mention, she was starting her chores later in the morning than usual.

She tried to pick up both jars, but her right hand was just too restricted from the brace. Sighing, she pinched one jar between her side and right arm, then scooped up the other with her good hand. Triumph stabbed through her. She'd completed her chores, all without the help of Raeger. Opening her door, she glanced at the clock. 10:45. It appeared Raeger wasn't intending on coming, anyway. Annie swallowed her disappointment and told herself to be relieved.

She awkwardly placed the milk jars on a shelf in her fridge, then felt her stomach growl. She grabbed a couple of eggs, cheese, and a tomato. She began wondering how Raeger made his omelettes, but shoved the thought away almost as soon as it entered her mind. She poured oil in a pan and began cooking herself breakfast.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the door. Her heart seemed to stop. Was it Raeger? She quickly slid the frying pan onto a cool burner, then went to the door. She took a deep breath, then swung it open.

It was Fritz. Annie felt conflicting relief and disappointment.

"Hey! Raeger's sick, but he said you had some chores you needed help with." Fritz was beaming at her, energetically rocking from his heels to the balls of his feet, like he had too much energy to stand still.

"He's sick?" What a lame excuse.

Fritz nodded, a little too quickly to be casual. Then he laughed loudly. "Yeah, he's not too good at holding down alcohol!"

Oh. He was hungover. That could explain why he had rushed to the bathroom this morning...

Fritz was still chattering. "Unlike me of course, I know how to handle my alcohol."

Annie didn't bother stifling her laughter. "You? You passed out!"

Fritz shot her a sidelong glance, looking bashful. "Hey! Yesterday was a long day, I was pooped. Nothing to do with alcohol!" He exclaimed defensively.

"Oh sure, sure." Annie smiled. She suddenly felt lighter, knowing her suspicions about Raeger may have been false. She wouldn't admit that to herself, though.

"So anyway. Chores! What do you need done?" Fritz looked so excited, like chores were the most fun one could have.

"I did them myself, actually. I thought Raeger wasn't coming." _But at least he sent Fritz_, Annie thought to herself. He still thought of her.

"Oh." Fritz looked crestfallen.

"Want an omelette?" Annie asked.

Fritz' smile returned. "Yeah!"

She led him inside and resumed cooking, encouraging Fritz to have a seat at the table. He seemed not to hear her, and insisted on hovering over her shoulder in the kitchen. Annie bumped into him more than once, after which he'd mutter "sorry" and continue to be in the way.

Eventually breakfast was served. They sat together at the table, eating what Annie thought were her best omelettes yet. She didn't have much experience cooking for herself, but she was improving already.

"So what are you doing today?" Fritz mumbled through his food.

Annie finished her mouthful of omelette before speaking, unlike Fritz. "Haven't actually given it much thought, past getting my chores done. You?"

"Thought I'd go down to the river and scavenge today," Fritz said, spitting a bit of egg out while speaking.

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Like, you dive in?"

His eyes seemingly sparkled. "Heck yeah! I found a pearl the other day."

"Oh, I've never really thought of doing something like that. I fish sometimes," Annie replied, then finished her last bite of food.

"Wanna come with?" Fritz was already standing, his food demolished.

Annie nodded. "Sure, I'll get my swimsuit." She stacked the dishes in the sink, then went to the bathroom to put her bathing suit on under her outfit.

Meanwhile, Fritz waited outside, tapping his foot energetically on the wooden porch. When Annie finally emerged from the house, Fritz grabbed her hand and started dragging her down the path toward the river on Eda's property.

They waved cheerfully to Eda, who was rearranging her flowerpots. Annie had a soft spot for the sweet old lady, and had been to her farm several times to help out in the short time she was living on the land next to her.

Upon reaching the riverbank, Annie pulled her shirt off, revealing her cute blue bikini top underneath. As her shirt sleeve caught on her wrist brace, she paused. Could she get this wet? She heard a rustle as Fritz, hidden behind bushes, tossed his shirt on the riverbank. Then his shorts. Then boxers. Annie's eyes widened.

"Uh, Fritz-" She shielded her eyes as Fritz practically pounced from the bushes into the river water. "Fritz! Are you naked?!"

He grinned at her. "Yup."

"No WAY am I going in there! The water's clear! You're a guy. Fritz! Quit it!" Annie babbled, flustered.

Fritz howled in laughter, taking in Annie's facial expression. "I'm not actually naked, calm down! I had trunks on me. Was gonna jump in the river after I did your chores."

"Oh," Annie replied, a little embarrassed from her overreaction.

Fritz was grinning at her from the water, laughter still in his eyes. "C'mon in, scaredy cat!"

Annie immediately pulled off her shorts and tossed them aside, then leaped into the water. Breaking the surface, she took a deep, relaxing breath and sank back into the water. It was surprisingly warm! She looked around, not seeing Fritz.

Suddenly he burst from the surface, water flicking off his hair. He held his hand out. In his palm laid a small pearl. It shimmered pink in the sunlight, and was absolutely beautiful. "Found another one!" Fritz beamed at her. "You try!"

Annie took in a breath, then plunged under the surface, feeling along the muddy riverbed. Her hand hit something solid and she grabbed it, then pushed off the bottom and broke the surface. In her hand laid a crunched pop can.

"Oooh, tough luck. There's lots of cooler stuff down there. But at least we can clean up the river, right? Let's swim further downstream." Fritz spoke too quickly for her to answer everything he said, so Annie simply nodded and swam after him down the river.

They searched the river for the rest of the afternoon, scavenging things from the riverbed. Annie had found mostly branches and rocks, but also a small green gem that looked to be a peridot. Fritz told her that they could be sold for SOOO much money.

As the sun started to dip low, they swam together back up the river. Annie was in a surprisingly good mood, having temporarily forgotten the events of that morning. They climbed out of the river, got dressed, and Fritz offered to walk Annie to her door.

As they walked up the path, Annie felt his hand brush hers. She moved away slightly, then felt his hand brush hers again. She looked toward him, and he avoided her gaze. What was he doing? She decided to ignore it as they reached her house.

"I uh," Fritz began. "I had a g-good time today."

"Me too!" Annie replied with a smile.

Fritz turned to face her. He leaned in slightly, avoiding eye contact with her.

Staring at her lips.

"I like Raeger!" She blurted before he could come closer.

Fritz recoiled. "O-oh.. That's good. I mean good for you. He's my best friend, so I know he's a good guy..."

Annie winced at the pain in his voice. "Yeah, he is."

Fritz nodded, looking away, and Annie hugged him. He returned it, to her relief. When they pulled away, they said their goodbyes, although an awkward air still surrounded the two. Annie went inside, her mind focusing on Fritz, and Raeger, and farm work (But mostly Raeger, despite her having just been in Fritz' presence).

She started to close the front door, but felt soft fur graze her leg as something ran through the doorway. "Rusty!"

Rusty let out a _mreeeowr_, nuzzling her leg. She smiled at the feline's return, then fed him the last of the cut up fish pieces. Maybe he was getting more comfortable staying in her house.

After eating, the cat curled up on her bed, licking his lips. Annie threw on pajamas and joined him, diving under the covers. She felt vibrating purrs on her leg as the little cat curled up in the crook of her bent knee. Annie smiled, feeling her loneliness lift a bit from the feline's company.

A slight chill clung to her from swimming in the river, and the warmth of Rusty and her blankets lulled her to sleep quickly. Her last thoughts before sleep were of the night before, pressed against Raeger in his bed, warm.

* * *

She was pulled from her sleep hours later by the sound of knocking. Her tired eyes barely registered the time on her clock - 11:57 - as she got up, and stumbled to the door. Who was here at this hour?

She opened the door.

Annie was met by apologetic eyes and the gleam of a tinfoil food container. Raeger was handsome as always, and Annie's heart betrayed her again, skipping a beat before quickening as her eyes met his.

"Hey. Sorry, did I wake you?" His voice was gentle.

Annie smiled. "Yeah, but it's fine."

He handed her the container. "I wanted to say sorry for rushing you out this morning, and not coming to help you out today. I would've brought this over earlier, but I just finished cleaning up at the restaurant, and it's better when it's fresh. It's apple pie," he finished.

Annie took the tinfoil dish while he spoke, feeling static in her veins when her hand brushed his.

"Thank you," Annie said, not knowing what else to say.

"You're very welcome." Raeger stepped forward, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She nearly dropped the container she was holding in surprise, but wrapped her braced wrist around him in return. She cursed the object in her other hand for being between them, and keeping her from pressing her body to his, and feeling his warm, firm chest against her. Her heart was still fluttering as they pulled away, and he said goodnight to her.

Annie stood in the doorway to watch him go, completely warm now, her homesickness of that morning forgotten.


	4. A Friendship

Sorry for the long wait! I've been working on the larger picture of the story – mapping out how the chapters are going to go and such. Thank you all for your patience, and thank you so much for following, faving and reviewing!

I know that in the game, Agate is introduced as she moves in shortly after Annie does. But I love Agate, and for the purposes of this story, she has lived in Oak Tree Town for a few years.

Hope you enjoy reading!

* * *

Soft lips pressed against hers, and butterflies danced in her stomach. Heat flooded every synapse in her body as firm hands found her waist. She trembled as she was pulled into his warm body. Their kiss deepened, and the world was no longer apparent around her; this moment right here, right now, was all she could comprehend as her feelings consumed her.

She gasped as the warm, strong hands slid up her waist to rest on the soft skin over her ribcage. She felt unstable and safe at the same time, like a skydiver who knows they will land safely. She never wanted this to stop.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips, their breaths mingling together.

"I love you, Raeger."

* * *

_I love you._ The words made her heart swell; he loved her!

Annie opened her eyes, and frowned. The warmth dissipated immediately. Raeger wasn't really here. She'd been dreaming.

She sighed. Her feelings for him were disturbing all aspects of her life now. She felt like she was constantly thinking about him, and now she couldn't even escape it in her dreams. She couldn't deny her feelings for him anymore, not when they were such a large part of her life. And he didn't even know. Did he ever even think of her?

Tiredness still clinging to her, Annie imagined a scenario where she confessed her feelings for him. Where he smiled at her admission and scooped her up, kissing her and holding her close.

Annie shook the thoughts out of her head. He'd done nothing to hint at any feelings he may have for her. He was just a good guy, helping her get settled in a new place.

It took some effort to push the thoughts of Raeger to the back of her mind, but she needed to get started on her farm work. Annie rolled out of bed, careful to leave Rusty sleeping peacefully on the covers. She put out a few food scraps for him to eat when he woke up. She'd have to get some real pet food from town soon.

Annie rooted through her nearly empty fridge for breakfast. She grabbed the food container Raeger had given her the past night, and stuck a fork in, eating a small bite.

_Oh Goddess, that's good_. Annie all but moaned while stuffing the rest of the spiced pie on heaping forkfuls into her mouth.

Raeger knocked on her door as usual before he began helping her on the farm. She tossed the empty pie container in the trash, wiped her mouth, and greeted him a bit shyly. She couldn't seem to stop looking at his lips, and thinking about how they had felt pressed against hers in her dream.

She got a start on watering the crops while Raeger cared for her animals as usual. She met him in the barn after she was done, and affectionately patted Hanako while watching Raeger brush her. Hanako headbutted her side affectionately, and Annie laughed.

"You really love your animals, don't you?" Raeger asked, smiling at her as he usually did.

Annie rubbed Hanako on the head. "Yeah, they really grow on you. They all have unique personalities and once you get to know them, they're amazing." She was looking at her cow with affection in her eyes.

Raeger didn't reply and Annie realized he was staring at her.

"W-what?" Annie stuttered, remembering how he'd looked at her as she dreamed.

He shook his head abruptly. "Nothing. Alright, I think I'm done here. Do you need help with your crops or anything?"

"Nope, watering is one thing I can do. Thank you for your help." She sneaked a look at him, and marveled at how handsome he was, for the hundredth time it seemed.

"You're welcome," he murmured, swatting at a fly that was pestering him.

Annie stifled a laugh. "You're not used to work like this, are you?"

Raeger looked at her. "Never really done anything else besides cooking, so no, I'm not. I don't mind it though. It's an experience. And you need to rest your wrist. How is it, by the way?"

If she was honest, it seemed to be almost healed. However, when would she see Raeger if not when he came to her farm?

"Quite a bit better, but it still hurts," she answered, only lying a bit. It did still feel stiff and it hurt if she moved it after resting it a long time. "Sorry to make you come out here every day. I know you work a lot."

Raeger held up a hand. "Nah, it's no problem at all. Glad to help."

Annie almost wished he would be rude about it, so she wouldn't like him so much. She went to grab a full jar that Raeger had milked from Hanako, but he laid a hand on her arm to stop her. Her skin heated and she pulled back as if he'd shocked her. Raeger looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "I've got it. You okay?"

"Mhm."

Annie watched as he hauled four jars of milk to her fridge. She held the front door open for him, trying not to admire the way his biceps rippled. He wasn't overly muscled, but he was a lean kind of strong. Annie could tell he did some sort of strength training. She doubted being a chef created much upper body strength.

Raeger was staring at her.

"Uh, what?" Annie blurted, realizing he'd been speaking.

"I said, can you get the fridge for me? My hands are full."

"Oh, sorry." Annie rushed forward and pulled the door open, stepping aside as he placed the jars on the middle fridge shelf.

"You okay?" He asked her for the second time. "You seem off today."

"I'm fine!" She said too quickly. She fiddled with her long, dark blonde hair. "I uh, didn't sleep well I guess."

"Ah. Sorry that I woke you."

_Get a grip on yourself_, Annie scolded herself mentally. This was just a boy. Another person like herself. Why did she act like a flighty, brainless bird around him?

She realized she was spacing out again. "Er- do you want some coffee?"

"Sure, that sounds great." He sat at her table and drummed his fingers on the wood surface as she brewed coffee for them both.

"How do you take yours?" Annie asked as she dumped sugar in her own.

"Just a bit of sugar and milk."

She stirred the two finished brews and set a mug in front of Raeger, sitting beside him.

Raeger took a sip, paused, and swallowed. He looked at her and laughed. "In what world is this a bit of sugar?"

Annie blinked. "Oh! Uh, shit. Shoot. That's mine." She swapped the mugs, embarrassed.

"Like a bit of coffee with your sugar?" He teased her. She rolled her eyes at him and took a sip. Realizing she had her lips where his were seconds ago on the cup, she felt a funny twist in her chest, and inhaled, breathing hot coffee into her windpipe. She stood up, knocking her chair over and hacking violently. Raeger stood up with her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Shit, you o-"

"Mmm fiiine," Annie murmured, her voice rasping.

Raeger, realizing she was alright, bursted into laughter. "I feel like if I leave you here alone today you might kill yourself."

Annie glared at him, but meeting his eyes that were brimming with amusement, she cracked, and grinned at him instead.

Annie silently vowed to avoid any more embarrassing moments, and wiped tears that clung to her lashes from her coughing.

"So. What're you up to tonight?" Annie asked.

"Going out of town, dancing." He gulped the rest of his coffee and set the mug on the table.

"Oh, you can dance?" Annie felt herself wishing she could go with him.

"Well, sort of. My friend asked me to go with her."

Her? "Who, Dakoda?" Annie asked a bit too harshly.

Raeger blinked. "No, Amanda. You haven't met her, she's from out of town."

A date? "Well I guess that makes more sense than you going on a date with Dakoda."

"Well, actually..." Raeger started.

"You have?" Annie finished for him, incredulous that he would date such a bitch.

"Yeah. Hey, she can be fun." Raeger got up and took both their mugs to the sink.

Annie didn't thank him. How many dates did this guy go on?

They walked to her front door in silence. Annie didn't look at him, surprised to feel a bit of anger. If he dated so many girls, then how could she possibly make an impression good enough to win him over? And even if she could, would it just be a one night stand? Was Raeger like that with the girls he dated?

"Thanks for the coffee, Annie," Raeger said while opening the door, a smile on his face.

"Mhmm. Anytime."

He hesitated, then walked out and shut the door.

Annie let her frustration get the best of her, and banged her forehead painfully on the wall, regretting it instantly.

The front door cracked open. Raeger peered at her. "Are you killing yourself alrea-"

"Get OUT!" Annie wailed at him, smacking his face with flailing hands. Her wrist brace made contact with his cheek, and she stopped, worried she had hurt him.

All Annie could hear was the sound of his laughter as he shut the door and walked away. She gritted her teeth and covered her ears.

Why, _why_ did she have to like him?

* * *

The day promised to be beautiful; a cloudless denim sky hung above the young farmer as she walked, a fresh breeze blowing away the late spring heat.

Annie, though she did try, couldn't stop thinking about Raeger's date with that girl tonight. So, she decided to busy herself by going into town. Dr. Marian had asked her to come in to the clinic around now to have her wrist reexamined, anyway.

She walked into the guild building, waving at Veronica as she walked back to the clinic. She opened the door and saw Marian sitting with Angela, the nurse, chatting. They turned as she approached them.

"Ah! Hello, Annie dear." Marian stood and motioned for her to sit. "How is your wrist healing? Let's have a look."

Annie sat and removed the brace from her right wrist. She stretched her stiff hand, and held it out for the doctor. He got her to do some movements with her wrist - rotating it, flexing it back, and making a fist - and then asked her if there was any pain. There wasn't.

_Guess Raeger won't be coming to my farm anymore_, she thought glumly. Although maybe that was a good thing for her.

"See, good as new dear! Just take it easy with it. No heavy lifting or strenuous activity with your right hand, alright? And be sure to come back if you have any more trouble," Dr. Marian told her.

Annie nodded and smiled, thanking the quirky doctor. She put the brace in her bag, and went to the general store, where she bought some cat food and treats for Rusty.

As she left the small shop, she heard her name being called, and turned to see Fritz and Agate sitting on a bench with shopping bags among them. Agate was waving her over.

Annie walked over to the pair, and noticed Fritz was avoiding her gaze. Agate was smiling brightly at her, her soft brown eyes glowing. Annie felt a bit of her stress lower just by being near the spirited girl, and she smiled genuinely back.

"Hey, Agate." Annie looked at her companion. "Hey, Fritz."

He glanced up at her, his eyes showing his uncertainty. "Hi."

Agate plowed right through the awkwardness. "We were just looking at Cabin Country's booth! They've got tons of cow treats on sale really cheap." She held up a bulging bag. "I stocked right up. They're a great way to win over the trust of the cows that people bring to the safari."

"I might grab a few then. I haven't bought any yet, since they're kinda pricey and I haven't exactly made much money so far," Annie said, sitting down next to the brunette.

"Oh, well here! I've got plenty." Agate beamed, dumping a dozen or so treats into Annie's bag.

"Thanks!" Annie smiled back at her, feeling happy at the friendly gesture.

Fritz stood and kicked his foot in the dirt by the bench. "I've gotta get going. Bye, Agate. Annie." His voice cracked a bit on Annie's name.

Annie murmured a goodbye. Clearly he still felt something for her. She felt guilty. The poor boy was a sweet guy... But she couldn't feel anything for him. Not when she felt what she did for Raeger.

Annie realized her thoughts were drifting to him again, and turned to Agate. "Well, what are you up to now?"

"I was just on my way home, actually. I got some tea leaves at the marketplace and I want to try making Earl Grey." Agate grabbed her bags. "Wanna come try some?"

"Sure!"

The two walked to the west end of town where Agate's pretty house stood. Agate awkwardly tried to unlock her door as she chomped bag handles in her mouth and held the others haphazardly on her other arm. Annie laughed, and took the bags from her mouth so she could unlock the door, then set them on her counter as they walked in.

Annie glanced around the main room of the house at the colourful furnishings and decorations, most of them animal themed. Hummingbird wind chimes hung by a window which was adorned with rooster themed curtains. Three porcelain cats sat on her windowsill, small, medium and large.

Agate got to work making Earl Grey tea out of her tea leaves and boiled water. As the leaves steeped, the two sat at Agate's kitchen table (on chairs with animal patterned cushions).

"So. How did you end up becoming a ranger?" Annie asked.

"I grew up on my parents' farm. With cats, dogs, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, and pretty much every animal you could think of. My dad's a veterinarian, so my life was pretty entangled with animal affairs. It's hard to be that close to them and not love them, y'know?"

Annie nodded and agreed with her. No matter how hard her life here was, she felt she could do it for her animals.

"From there, I had enough experience to do pretty much whatever I wanted with animals. I saw a job listing here and took it." She grinned. "It's perfect for me here."

"So you've always known what you wanted, then," Annie said, a bit jealous of the girl's confidence in her ambitions.

"Mhmm." Agate took a sip of her tea. "What made you decide to come here?"

Annie told her of her yearnings to leave the city behind. Agate nodded occasionally, listening intently. It felt good to have someone to talk to. She knew she had Raeger to talk to, but her feelings got in the way of feeling anything akin to friendship with him.

"So you always knew what you wanted, too?" Agate asked.

"Well... I thought so. But lately I'm not sure. I know I've only been here a month or so, but sometimes I get so homesick that I don't know if I chose right," Annie confessed for the first time.

Agate nodded immediately. "Me too. I mean, I was like that at first. It slowly got better as I met people here and got into a routine. Don't worry yet, Annie." The girl smiled warmly. "I think you'll do fine here."

Annie smiled back, feeling the first seeds of friendship being planted. It was nice to simply sit and talk to someone with common interests and ambitions. The two chatted while sipping tea. They talked about their homes, animals, and eventually the topic changed to men.

"So, how's Raeger?" Agate asked casually.

Annie blushed and sipped her tea to cover her embarrassment. "Uh, good."

Agate looked at her slyly. "Is he a good kisser?"

"Wh-what? I don't know!"

Agate laughed at her embarrassed facial expression. "I'm just teasing. I saw the way you looked at him at the bar."

"Oh. Yeah, he's pretty great," Annie admitted, groaning internally. It seemed there was no way of getting him off her mind.

"He's cute." Agate looked at her pointedly. "You should do something about that."

"I... Want to," Annie admitted. "He's been so kind to me though, and I don't want to ruin that. And he's going on a date tonight."

Agate nodded. "He dates a lot. Never seen him have a date with the same girl twice, though."

"Yeah, that's another thing. He dates a lot. I don't really want to be just another date, you know? Or a one-night stand, or whatever it is he does."

"Well if a one-night stand happening is all you're worried about, you'll be fine." Agate paused for a beat, looking a bit awkwardly at Annie. "I, uh... Had a thing for him too, a few years ago. I think most of the girls who come here have, to be honest. I asked him on a date, but that was all that really happened. I think he dates to be nice, not to find a girlfriend or whatever. Couldn't even get a goodnight kiss from him."

Annie wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. On one hand, it was reassuring that he probably wasn't looking for one-night stands, if what Agate said was true... On the other, did his casual dating mean he wasn't open to anything else? He could be so confusing.

"The tea's really good," Annie stated, not-so-smoothly changing the topic.

Agate laughed, not being swayed. "I think you should ask Raeger out. Or, get him to ask you out."

Annie rolled her eyes. "If _you_ had to ask _him_ out just to get a date, how am I going to get him to ask me?"

"Dress fabulously. Put some perfume on. Get his attention. He'd be a fool not to ask you out."

"Hah. Thanks, Agate." Annie finished her tea in one gulp, before it could cool.

Agate narrowed her eyes. "I'm serious. Someone needs to break in that horse."

Annie laughed, and as the two chatted, she could _almost_ forget that Raeger was out with another girl that evening.


	5. A Lie

Here's another chapter for you guys! Thank you all so much for reading, following, faving and reviewing! I welcome any constructive criticism or compliments from you guys. c: It really means a lot.

Without further ado, here you go.~

* * *

Three loud knocks roused Annie from her sleep. She rubbed her bleary eyes tiredly, and peeked at the clock. The digits appeared blurry from the girl's sleep-deprived eyes: 8:05. Sunlight poured in her window, pooling on her covers. She had slept in.

The young farmer hopped out of bed and began to make her way to the front door, when she realized it was probably Raeger. She glanced at her right wrist, brace-free and healed. She bit her lip. Raeger was only coming to her farm every day because of her injury. Annie didn't want to go back to waking up and working alone. Unless...

Annie made a split second decision as she heard three more knocks on her door. "Coming!" She shouted, grabbing her wrist brace from her bag. She shoved away the bad feeling in her gut that told her she shouldn't lie, and secured the brace to her wrist.

Annie opened the door. "Morning," she chirped at the handsome young chef, attempting to sound more awake than she was.

He blinked at her, clearly trying not to smile. "You're uh... Nice PJ's."

Blinking back at him, momentarily confused, Annie looked down and realized she hadn't changed. Small polka-dot pajama shorts barely covered her underwear. Her skin felt hot under his gaze, and she nervously tried to block his view with her hands. "I, er - one sec."

Annie turned away from him, her cheeks burning, and retreated back into her house. She wiggled out of her shorts, unaware that Raeger had followed her inside.

"Whoa, hey, warn a guy before you start stripping." He chuckled.

Annie whipped around. "What are you doing?! Get out!"

He stood by her front door, his arms folded across his chest. She looked at him incredulously. Why wasn't he leaving?

Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed his cheeks redden slightly. He stepped forward. "Don't take this the wrong way, but," he swallowed. "You're very beautiful, Annie."

The young girl stood facing him in her underwear, holding her shorts in front of her in an attempt to cover up, her mouth hanging open. She managed to shut it and looked away. "Th-thanks."

Raeger paused for a second, and she saw his eyes sweep her body again before he turned to leave. Her skin felt as if it were ablaze, but she swallowed her embarrassment and quickly dressed suitably for farm work after she heard the door click shut behind Raeger.

Annie took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, then went out to join Raeger. He was gone; he must have already gone off to the barn or coop, Annie assumed. She let the sunshine warm her sore muscles as she tended to her field nearly single-handedly.

She had been neglecting her crops lately - evident by the weeds that were beginning to choke her strawberry plants - so she began pulling them out of the soil.

Finished with the worst of the weeding, Annie made her way to the barn. She paused outside, biting her lip. It seemed Raeger always found new ways of bringing her feelings gushing into the open. She couldn't think of a time when she wasn't at least mildly nervous around the handsome young man. She closed her eyes, trying to remember exactly the way his arms felt wrapped around her. The way his gaze heated her skin, and the way she imagined his lips would feel...

"Annie?"

She snapped out of her daydream. Raeger was standing in front of her, his hands and arms covered in muck almost up to his elbows. He smiled a bit sheepishly at her. "Your water pump is broken."

"The handle rusted and snapped, so there's no water source out here 'til I can get Gunther over here to fix it." Annie gestured to the rusty pump. "You can come use the sink inside, though."

Annie led him inside, and ran to get him a towel while he washed in the kitchen sink. She handed him the towel and he patted his hands and arms dry, then turned and smiled at Annie.

"Well I've gotta get back to the restaurant," he said, hanging the towel on the oven handle. "But I've got a new cake recipe I need a guinea pig for. Are you free today?"

Annie nodded, and couldn't help but return his smile. "Yeah, I could spare a bit of time."

They walked to town while chatting comfortably. Annie couldn't help but notice how the sunlight caught his eyes, lightening them to a silvery blue. She shied away from his eye contact.

As they walked past the guild building, Annie noticed Dr. Marian was outside chatting with Fritz. Suddenly the brace on her wrist began to feel very heavy and noticeable, and she tried quickly to hide it, but her heart dropped as Marian looked over at her and Raeger. He frowned.

"Annie! Did you injure your wrist again, sweetie?" Marian asked, his perfect brow wrinkled in concern as he approached her.

"I... Uhm, n-no," Annie stuttered, pulling at a stray thread on her pants and averting her eyes. She could feel Raeger looking at her, and she was sure if she looked over she'd see confusion written on his face.

Doctor Marian tilted his head a bit. "I don't understand. Your wrist is better, yes? You can remove the brace now, you don't have to wear it anymore."

"I... I know," she said quietly. She sneaked a glance over at Raeger, and saw he looked... Angry?

Annie looked away and bid farewell to Marian, waving goodbye to Fritz as well. Her eyes flicked up to meet Raeger's briefly. "'Bye," she murmured, then turned and walked in the direction of the mountain path.

"Annie, stop," Raeger said quietly, striding after her and grabbing her arm. She twisted toward him.

"What?" She muttered, pulling her arm from his grasp.

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "What are you doing? Lying so you could get someone to do your chores for you?"

Annie flinched at his angry tone. He must think she was some lazy girl who couldn't take care of herself without help. She knew she couldn't tell him the real reason for her lie, though. "I'm sorry."

Raeger stepped forward and hooked a finger under her chin, pulling her gaze to his eyes. "Do you have something you need to tell me?"

She felt her breath hitch at his closeness, but pulled away and broke eye contact. "No."

Raeger sighed. "You know, I have a lot of things to do at the restaurant. I've been working nonstop since I took on your work too. I didn't mind helping when you were injured, but," he nodded his head briskly at her wrist. "You're capable of doing your own work now. I'll see you around." He turned and walked away, toward his restaurant.

Annie dug a finger nail into her palm to keep tears at bay. Angry at herself, she ripped off her wrist brace and threw it in a nearby trash can, then walked home, feeling a tight knot in the pit of her stomach. Any chance she'd had at winning over Raeger's heart was gone - that was for sure. She wondered if they could even remain friends after she'd lied to him. A tear managed to escape onto her cheek, and Annie wiped it away quickly, feeling pathetic.

She walked fast to avoid bumping into someone in her current state, not wanting to socialize with anyone. When she reached her house, she flung the door open and leaped onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow.

Annie's stomach rumbled, and her thoughts drifted to her home in the city. She remembered the scent of her mother's cooking - she often liked to bake roast with vegetables - and suddenly, she felt homesick once more. Apart from her chats with Raeger, and sometimes Agate, Annie was alone. Veronica occasionally came to talk to her and to check on how she was doing, but it wasn't the same as being with a family, or having the warmth of friendship. Annie surprised herself with how badly she wanted a family with her in the country. She loved her family of course, but they all had futures in the city. Annie knew she belonged in the country. Just the feel of the fresh country air made her feel better than she ever felt in the stuffy city, and she also knew she could never leave her animals. But no matter how much she loved the country, she couldn't shake the loneliness that overtook her almost daily. Annie sighed.

Suddenly soft fur brushed her arm, and Annie heard Rusty meow. She smiled weakly, reaching over to scratch him on the head. She found a tinfoil ball she'd crumpled up for a toy for the cat on her bed sheet, and threw it to the other side of the room. Rusty ran energetically to grab it, picking it up in his mouth and carrying it back to the bed. She threw it again for him.

Her mind involuntarily drifted to thoughts of Raeger. The feelings she knew she had for him often drove away her loneliness, except at times such as these. She didn't want to be lonely anymore.

Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, Annie decided she didn't want to sit at home feeling sorry for herself. She marched to her closet, and pulled out her blue waterfall shirt, and changed into it. She also exchanged her ratty farm jeans for her black skinny jeans, then went to the bathroom where she brushed her soft golden hair out, letting it fall free over her shoulders.

A few seconds later she left the house with light smokey eye shadow darkening her eyelids. She made her way to town confidently, any sign of tears suppressed by her determination.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon as she walked to the west end of town, not even glancing at Raeger's restaurant to the east. She was even so bold as to smile flirtatiously at Klaus, a gentleman fifteen years her senior, when he waved a greeting at her. She walked up to her new friend's door and knocked.

The door opened, revealing Agate. Seeing Annie's outfit, she grinned. "Where are we off to?"

"The bar? I could use a drink," Annie told her.

"Uh oh. Alright, I've got your back. Hold on, I've just got to change quick."

Agate ran upstairs to her room and came back down a few minutes later, wearing a red long sleeve shirt that fit her curves perfectly.

They walked together toward the bar. Agate looked over to Annie. "What's up with you? Are you okay?"

"I will be," Annie murmured. At this point, she just wanted a few drinks to forget about the day. She realized her ominous response would worry her friend, and continued. "It's... Raeger. And other stuff I guess, too."

"It's always Raeger," Agate smiled knowingly. "Did you ask him out?"

Annie shook her head, and as they entered the bar, she explained how she'd lied to Raeger. They sat down and ordered cocktails as she finished.

Agate pursed her lips. "Hmm. That's rough. But he's a good guy, he's probably just stressed. You'll get another shot at him, I bet."

Annie gulped her cocktail. "I don't know. I hope so," she admitted.

They ordered tequila shots next. Annie noticed Agate's attention was focused behind her, and she turned around to see a young man seated at a table. They were smiling at each other, and he waved a hand in greeting. Annie looked at Agate, an eyebrow raised.

"Who's that?" She asked accusingly.

Agate smiled meekly. "Kamil. He's from Bluebell. I've been showing him around."

"Didja show him your bedroom? 'Cause from the look he's giving you..."

Agate let out a little shriek, and punched Annie in the arm. "Shhh! He'll hear you!"

The farmer girl hunched over with laughter. "Well take your own advice, and go ask him out. You obviously like him."

Agate bit her lip, considering it. She shook her head. "No, I'm here with you! I'll do it tomorrow. Or actually maybe next week..."

Annie laughed at her friend. "If you don't go over and talk to him, I will. I'll tell him you like him if you won't."

"You wouldn't!" Agate glowered halfheartedly.

"Try me!" Annie countered, grinning at her victory as Agate stood.

"Wait, wait... One more shot." Agate threw a tequila shot back, then fixed her hair and adjusted her shirt. She pulled the front down a bit more, revealing cleavage. Annie giggled.

"Go get 'em, Tiger," Annie encouraged her.

Agate shot her a sidelong glance. "I'm getting you back for this. I know the guy you fancy too."

Annie rolled her eyes in response. "Quit stalling, go!"

Muttering an insult to Annie under her breath, Agate went and sat with Kamil. Annie saw his smile widen at the pretty brunette's presence, and felt a mixture of happiness and hope for her friend, and a twist of jealousy that she pushed away, hard. She got the attention of Maurice, and ordered another shot. The amount of alcohol she'd had already plus her empty stomach probably weren't a good mix, but it felt good to relax and forget about the events of the day.

She had downed two more shots when she noticed a man sitting in the corner of the bar who she'd never seen before. As soon as their eyes met, he smiled and finished his drink before standing and making his way over toward her. In her drunken state, she couldn't tell exactly what he looked like, but knew he was tall with broad shoulders and dark hair. Her head buzzed as he sat next to her at the bar.

"Hey, pretty lady," the man said with a deep voice. "Here all alone? Let me get you a drink."

He put a hand on her thigh, and Annie's gut wrenched with fear. Something about this man terrified her.

"Uh no. No, th-thank you," she stuttered through numb lips, shoving his hand away.

The man scowled at her, and leaned in, replacing his hand on her thigh, a little higher this time. "Come on, let me get you some more tequila."

"I said n-no." Annie stood, swaying slightly, but able to walk away. She didn't get more than two steps away before she felt fingertips dig cruelly into her arm, wrenching her back. She slammed into the counter, her heart pounding. "Stop."

"Stop? I'm just trying to get you a drink. Why you being so rude, chick?" The man's hands grabbed her waist, pulling her in.

Annie slammed her palms into his chest, trying to push away. She could feel his hot breath on her forehead and smell alcohol as he chuckled. "Let's get out of here, babe."

"Let me GO!" Annie howled at the top of her lungs. She saw Maurice emerge from the back room at the ruckus. Agate, Kamil and several other faces had turned to see what was happening as well. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friend stand up.

Annie desperately swung a punch in the direction of his face, but he pulled back.

"Fucking tease, quit it-"

Suddenly, the man grunted and fell backward. Someone had grabbed the back of his shirt and wrenched him away from her. Annie leaned on the bar drunkenly, her vision swirling. The man spun around to face his aggressor. "What the fuck-"

Annie saw his head snap back as a spray of blood fanned toward the ceiling. He fell to the ground sideways, clutching his bleeding nose and groaning in pain. Raeger stood looking down on him, rage in his eyes. She saw his hands were still clenched into fists. "Get out, _now_," He barked.

The man stumbled to his feet, walking as quickly as his drunken state would allow him out the door. "You're fuckin' crazy," He mumbled as he passed Raeger.

Maurice thanked Raeger for his intervention, muttering "City folk" unhappily under his breath. "Are you alright, hun?" He asked Annie. She nodded.

Raeger turned to Annie. "What are you doing here by yourself?" He snapped.

She felt tears sting her eyes, unable to wrap her drunken mind around what had happened. She gestured toward Agate, who ran over to her and hugged her tight.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you." Annie saw that Agate was trying not to cry, too. "Let me get you home. Or do you want to stay at my place for tonight?"

Raeger stepped forward. "I'll take her home."

Agate looked at Annie, who nodded her consent. "Okay. I'm still so sorry," Agate murmured sadly, hugging her again.

Raeger reached for Annie's arm, to help her, she assumed, but she recoiled. "I can walk." He blinked, but nodded mutely in response.

As they left the bar, she stumbled on the steps slightly. He reached out a hand to steady her, but she flinched away at his touch. Raeger stared at her, looking offended.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He mumbled, sounding hurt himself.

"I know."

He stopped trying to touch her, and instead stayed close to her as the pair walked up the mountain trail in the dark. Annie had trouble seeing anything but dim swirling tree trunks and bushes, but instead focused on the sound of Raeger's breathing beside her as they made their way through the chilly night.

Once they reached her house, Annie bid him farewell, thanked him, and stepped inside. To her dismay, he followed her inside for the second time that day. She looked at him, a bit annoyed.

"I just want to make sure you're alright," he said at her sour expression.

She grunted, turning her back to him and changing out of her jeans and shirt without bothering to warn him. She didn't even know why she was angry with him; She was just too stubborn to do anything else. He turned away modestly while she dressed.

"I'm tired, Raeger," she said to him as he stood by her bed, watching her expressionlessly. She stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

"Annie-"

"I don't want to hear it."

"_Annie._"

She looked up at the insistent tone of his voice. He didn't look angry anymore.

Suddenly she realized she was crying, and that realization made the tears come out faster. She felt a sob escape her mouth, and then she was in Raeger's arms.

"You're alright, I've got you."

She cried harder, soaking his shirt. He rubbed her back gently, his lips pressed to the top of her head. At some point, they sat down on the bed so that she was curled up in his arms while he leaned against her headboard. They stayed that way until her sobbing ceased. She hiccuped suddenly, and then felt his lips press into her cheek. She gasped softly at the heat that they left, as if he'd branded her. She gripped his shirt, nuzzling her face into his chest slightly.

Annie tried to think of something she could say to convey what she was feeling, but then she felt a rumble start in his chest, and realized he was humming a song softly. Her heart clenching, she felt her stomach flutter with affection. He smoothed her hair with one hand, then rested it on her back once more, rubbing slow circles on the silky texture of her pajama shirt.

The warm, rhythmic patterns he traced on her back lulled her to sleep, and the last sound she heard was the sweet lullaby he hummed.


	6. A Crush

Happy summer~ My apologies for the late update; I just started a second job and I've been getting into the swing of things. I wrote this chapter AT one of my jobs as I thought it had been too long since I updated.

It's a bit of a shorter chapter than the first five, but nevertheless I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Raeger stopped humming, looking down at the girl curled up against his chest. Annie's face was still wet from crying, and he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, ignoring the damp spots she had left on his shirt. He listened to her steady breathing which told him she had stopped crying and fallen asleep. Moonlight spilled in through the window panes, catching in her golden hair and turning it silver. When he breathed in, the calming scent of lavender from her shampoo filled his nose, and he was struggling to stay awake.

It would be easy to just fall asleep in her bed with her, warm and comfortable. He had done so before, in his bed, anyway. But they had both been drunk then, and there hadn't been much thinking involved. Now, while he was sober and looking down at the beautiful girl in his arms, he found himself wishing he could stay; But he wasn't sure how she would react to waking up to him still here, uninvited. Certainly she'd had enough surprises for one day.

Besides, he knew he should stop his affectionate behavior around her. Holding her, letting her cry against his chest, protecting her... Those were things a boyfriend would do for her, and he was uncomfortable with the idea of opening himself up to that kind of relationship with her. Even if she were up for starting something like that - which he doubted, based on her behavior toward him that evening - she didn't know how deep the scars ran from the times he had lost nearly everyone he had been close to. His mother, father and grandparents had all passed away. He had no siblings. The only serious relationship he'd been in had ended when she decided that she needed to focus on school, and couldn't give him the attention needed to maintain a relationship.

Raeger usually felt distant from other people as a result, and while he still ran his grandfather's restaurant and handled social situations normally, he just couldn't bring himself to start a relationship with someone. He went on dates, sure, but he never allowed for a deep connection to form between himself and another person.

He knew the pain of losing someone you love, and even the longing he felt when he was near Annie wasn't quite enough to change his mind; And so, he gently removed her from his arms, placing her on the bed. He ignored the way his heart beat erratically and his cheeks scorched, and he left her, safe and sound. As he let his gaze sweep over her one last time before he left, he wondered how a person could look so much like an angel.

* * *

Annie wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, admiring the smooth, brushed coat of Hanako. She felt guilty for neglecting her animals while injured, so she made a morning of giving them proper attention, and spending extra time with them. She was grateful to Raeger for caring for them, but she just didn't feel like a farmer if she wasn't the one taking care of her own livestock. She wondered how Elise, the richest farmer in town, could call herself a farmer while she had servants to do all her work.

She sat on the milking stool beside Hanako, and rested her cheek on the cow's broad shoulder. "You forgive me, don't you?" She asked the bovine, scratching affectionately on the top of her head. She let out a low moo, followed by a snort and a tail flick, and Annie smiled, rubbing her hand over the soft, short fur.

The crunching of footsteps on the dirt path outside perked her up, and she stood from the stool. She found herself hoping her visitor was Raeger; Her cheeks flared as she recalled the way he'd held her the night before. He must have left sometime in the night though, because she woke around 6:00am and he'd been gone, leaving only a trace of the enticing scent of his cologne on her pillow.

Upon exiting the barn, she saw Fritz raising a hand to knock on the front door to her house. She called his name, and he turned, startled. To her surprise, he smiled at her.

"Annie! I wanted to talk to you!" He shouted, although there was only a few metres between them as she made her way over to him, hopping the pasture fence.

"Sure, come on in," she waved for him to follow her inside the house.

Fritz perched himself on the edge of one of her kitchen chairs. She poured two mugs of coffee, bringing them and a jar of sugar over; she knew he dumped sugar in his, and didn't care to try to figure out how much. She doubted _he_ knew how much.

"I just wanted you to know I'm not mad at you. I mean, I thought I was at first, but I'm actually pretty happy." Fritz beamed at her while pouring sugar into his coffee.

Annie cocked an eyebrow. "I'm glad, but why's that?"

Fritz took a swig of his coffee, apparently not bothered by the heat of the drink. "'Cause Raeger's my best friend, and _he_ gets to be with you! And that's awesome, 'cause you're pretty amazing." His eyes were wide with happiness, showing no trace of the sadness she had seen when she rejected him.

"Wha- No, no, we aren't together, Fritz," Annie said, laughing nervously.

Fritz looked at her, his eyes wide. "Why not? You like him, don't you?"

"I do," she answered, beginning to regret telling him about her feelings for Raeger.

"Well there ya go!" He grinned again, then slammed back the rest of his coffee. He stood and babbled 'goodbye's and 'thank you's for the coffee while Annie tried, unsuccessfully, to talk over him and explain that they definitely _were not_ together. Giving up as he flung her door open to leave, she got up and shut it behind him.

Annie sighed. Just being around Fritz' energetic personality wore her out; She didn't know where he got his energy from. _Guess opposites really do attract,_ she mused, thinking of the contrast between his personality and that of his best friend, Raeger, who was calm but still friendly.

_I still haven't thanked him_, she realized, remembering how he had punched a man in the face to protect her. She also remembered how those same hands had felt as they gently rubbed her back, and felt her cheeks heat up.

She shook it off, and grabbed her rucksack.

* * *

It was another beautiful day; The sun shone warmly on Annie's back as she made her way to the west part of the town square, toward Raeger's restaurant. As she put a foot on the steps in front of the building and began to reach for the door, she felt her heartbeat speed up. She hoped things were okay between them now, and that he wasn't still angry at her for pretending to be injured longer than she was. She assumed he was over it from the way he'd tenderly held her the night before.

As her hand made contact with the handle, the door flew open, surprising her, and she stumbled backward to avoid taking it straight to the face. Fritz stood in the doorway.

"Oh, uh... Sorry, Annie!" He stuttered apologies until she held up a hand to stop him, saying it was alright. She paused. Fritz was staring at her, looking nervous.

"You okay?" She asked him suspiciously.

"Yup!" He said too loudly. "Er - gotta go. See ya!" He sneaked a quick glance to the restaurant, looking panicked, then gave her a lopsided grin before rushing past her.

Annie watched him go, amused. He could be so quirky. She turned back to the restaurant door and went in.

Raeger was at the front as usual, wiping down the counter between customers. Two girls sat at a table in a corner, but besides that it was empty. The chef's hair had grown a bit long, and a few strands hung over his eyes as he looked down behind the counter. He glanced up with a smile as she came up to the counter. His smile widened a bit when he recognized her, and she found herself grinning back at him.

"Hi," she chirped, sitting across the counter from him.

"Hi," he mimicked her. Annie noticed a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"So," she began. She opened her mouth to thank him for helping her the night before, when he interrupted.

"So I hear you like me."

Annie stared at him as he continued smiling at her, still looking amused. Her mouth hung open as she tried to process what he had just said. There was no way he could know how she felt. Was there?

She snapped her mouth shut and cleared her throat nervously before replying. "Of course I do. You've been a great friend to me."

Raeger was obviously biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Ah, that isn't what it sounded like though."

She stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

He nodded toward the door. "Fritz came by."

Suddenly she realized why Fritz had been acting so nervous when she had bumped into him outside the restaurant - he had blabbered to Raeger about her feelings for him! She shoved thoughts of pushing Fritz into a pile of manure to the back of her mind, and tried to think of a way to defuse the bomb he had set.

"Oh, I-I don't... He's been weird today. Yeah. Hah. I d-don't..." Annie said, flustered. She knew her cheeks must have been bright as cherries.

He laughed softly, and she attempted to glower at him, though it was difficult when his face was so handsome when he laughed.

"Fritz doesn't know what he's talking about." She stated stubbornly.

"Be that as it may, I think he did today, actually." Raeger leaned forward against the counter, smirking at her. "You _looove_ me, eh?"

She could have smacked him. "I do not."

He only laughed harder at her response. He grabbed a paring knife and slid it across to her. "Here, you can carve our initials into one of the tables - I won't tell the owner," he teased, winking at her. He reached out a hand toward her - to grab her hand?

Annie stood abruptly, shoving herself away from the counter, and Raeger. She spun and walked toward the door, all thoughts of thanking him gone.

"Hey, wait, Annie!" He called after her, but there was still laughter in his voice.

She looked over her shoulder, turning slightly so she could glare at him. "No wonder you're single. You don't have to be such an asshole," she spat, then left despite hearing him call out her name again, letting the door slam shut behind her.


	7. A Confession

Here's a longer chapter to make up for the shortness of Chapter 6! The longest chapter of this story yet, actually. I know the title of the chapter kind of gives away an event of the story, but come on, you guys knew it was coming.

Thank you to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed so far! I look forward to more!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"So, did you rope Kamil into coming too?" Annie asked Agate while they walked.

Agate gave her a halfhearted glare. "I invited him, yes. He said he'd be by sometime to help if he wasn't busy."

The two friends were on their way to the animal safari where Agate often worked as a ranger. She had called Annie early that morning - around 4am, which was too early even for Annie - to ask her for help getting things together after the construction of a horse barn on the side of the safari. Apparently there were brand new horseback riding paths, and with that came people wanting to board their horses nearby.

Annie didn't have a horse, so she wouldn't even be using the new additions to the safari, but she was still looking forward to spending the morning with Agate, who was usually quite skilled at cheering Annie up when she was frustrated with Raeger. She felt a stab of anger and embarrassment at the memory. There were better ways of rejecting people than making fun of them, especially when the subject was romantic feelings. She wished she _didn't_ have feelings for him, but she had no such luck as somehow the thought of the handsome chef still made butterflies flutter in her stomach. _He's a_ _dick,_ she thought, trying to convince herself. _Quit liking him. _

Avoiding Raeger afterward hadn't been too difficult, since he was usually stuck working at the restaurant. She had stayed away from town on Wednesday, his day off, to dodge the possibility of an awkward encounter with him, and instead had done all her business on Tuesday. He had come to her house a few nights ago, but she simply muted her TV when he knocked on the door and pretended she wasn't home until he left. She was probably overreacting, but she just wasn't up to being hurt by him again. Luckily, since today was a Wednesday, she wouldn't be in town to run into him.

She felt disappointment, too. She wasn't sure what she expected of him when he finally found out about her feelings, but it certainly wasn't teasing and laughing at her. Even gentle rejection would have been kinder - although it would have been awkward at first, she was sure they would have still been able to be friends. Now, she wasn't sure what would happen. All she knew was that she was _pissed,_ and she didn't want to see him.

As the two walked down the path to the safari, Annie shivered in the near-dark of the early dawn. Pink hues were just beginning to break free from the horizon, the sun soon to follow; She longed to feel its heat thaw her skin. Hopefully working at the safari would warm her cold, stiff muscles.

"Does anyone else work here besides you?" Annie asked her friend.

Agate sneaked a quick look at her. "Uh, we do get other volunteers, sometimes..."

They were approaching the large, unpainted barn.

"Like Kamil?" Annie winked.

"Yeah, and..." Her friend bit her lip and awkwardly grinned at Annie as they rounded the corner of the barn and the young farmer nearly collided with Raeger, who was carrying a pile of lumber.

Annie stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her stomach twist. Raeger attempted a small smile, but she pretended not to see it, and instead glared at Agate. The ranger shrugged and threw her hands in the air dramatically.

"Work it out, kids." Agate moved through the space between them to get into the barn, turning to wink at Annie and stick her tongue out before disappearing into the wooden building. Raeger placed the lumber on the ground, turning to her and opening his mouth to speak.

"Don't even think about it," Annie hissed, finally turning to look at him.

He held his hands up as if to show he was unarmed. "Hey, I was just going to apologize."

Annie gritted her teeth in annoyance - more so because of Agate's unwanted interference than Raeger's presence.

"Fine. Thanks," she murmured, stepping forward to walk around him and into the barn.

He caught her arms gently, turning her to face him. "Annie," he said softly.

She looked up at the pleading in his voice. His brow was scrunched in concern, and he was frowning slightly. Well, at least he wasn't laughing at her anymore.

"I mean it. I'm sorry."

"_I_ mean it. It's _fine_."

Raeger sighed, shaking his head at her stubbornness. He released her arms and she abruptly strode past him into the barn.

Agate was near the back of the building, setting out paint cans, brushes and rags. She smiled as Annie entered, her eyebrows raised suggestively. Annie gave her a sour expression.

"What's he doing here?" She demanded.

Agate shrugged. "It's his day off."

"So he volunteered? Or you asked him to-"

"Alright then! Raeger, get in here," Agate called out.

Annie's sour expression changed to one of exasperation. "What are you doing?" She asked, suspicious of her friend's intentions.

"Well, you guys came here to help," she said happily, handing Annie the paint brushes, and Raeger the paint cans when he approached. She led the reluctant pair outside and showed them where the barn would be painted each colour. Raeger was given red paint; Annie, white.

As Agate left the two alone to paint, Annie could feel the awkwardness between her and Raeger. He was focused on painting, his brush leaving scarlet streaks across the wood. He must have sensed her staring, as he looked over and met her gaze. She looked away just as quickly.

They continued painting in silence until the front of the barn was finished. Agate returned to check on their "work", although Annie assumed she was also hoping to see that her and Raeger had made up. No such luck.

Around noon, they took a break and relaxed on a hill overlooking the horse pasture, eating sandwiches and sugar cookies from a picnic basket which Raeger had apparently volunteered to bring. The fact that there was the perfect amount of food for the three of them made Annie wonder if Raeger had known she was coming. Was that why he was here?

Agate and Annie chatted comfortably until the ranger had to leave her alone with Raeger to go and exercise her horse, Kierra. She watched as Agate mounted the beautiful chestnut and white-coloured mare in the pasture, then rode her out to the edge of the woods where the new riding path started. Annie found herself wanting to ride as well - she had taken lessons as a young teenager, and always wished she had her own horse. Perhaps she could buy one from one of the visiting vendors, but how much was a horse?

Annie was so used to the silence between herself and the man beside her that she had forgotten he was there until he cleared his throat, then picked up both their empty lunch containers and began cleaning up. Raeger reached beside Annie to grab the picnic basket, grazing her arm slightly and causing her to flinch.

He recoiled his hand and sighed."How long are you going to be angry with me for?"

She shrugged, standing to brush crumbs from her lap. She could practically sense the impatience in Raeger as she ignored him and walked away, back toward the barn where she had left her paint can. She pulled the wooden door open, careful to avoid the painted areas, and felt a splinter pierce the skin of her palm.

"Ah, ouch..." She winced, picking at her hand where the splinter had gone in. It looked deep - she couldn't grab the end with her fingernails. She looked around for a first-aid kit, but couldn't see one. _It must be kept in the ranger cabin, _she thought, then made her way over to the small building where Agate kept her working supplies - horse saddles, stirrups and crops hung on the wall. She spotted a white box on a self which read "First-Aid" in red script and opened it, digging through it and finding a pair of tweezers.

Annie sat on the small, stiff bed in the corner and began picking away at where the tail of the splinter barely stuck out. Just as she grabbed it, the visible part broke off and she cursed. Jabbing the sharp tips of the tweezers into her skin, she tried to dig it out; Blood welled up in the crease of her palm. She heard a knock at the cabin door followed by a creak as the door opened. Raeger stepped in.

"There you are. Agate wants help moving hay bales into the barn - it looks like it's going to rain. She said she's gonna finish the painting job later," he said, then looked at her hand. "What are you doing?"

She had gotten blood all over both her hands during her efforts to remove the wooden sliver. "Uh, splinter," she murmured, a bit embarrassed.

"Here, you're not gonna get it out like that," he responded, bringing the first-aid kit over to the bed and kneeling in front of her.

"I've got it," she snapped stubbornly. Raeger ignored her, and took an army knife out of his pocket. Annie's eyes widened and she pulled her hand away, clutching it near her chest.

Raeger rolled his eyes. "Fine, get an infection. Maybe Marian will have to remove your hand. You'll go down in history as the best one-handed farmer ever," he said sarcastically.

"Okay, okay, fine, but don't hurt me," she muttered, refusing to look at him.

She noticed out of the corner of her eye that his lips were curved in a small smile as he took an antiseptic wipe out of the kit and wiped the knife down with it, then used another to wipe the blood off her palm. He flicked open the knife and took her hand. His skin was slightly rough - probably from carrying lumber - as he held her hand in his. She bit her lip, praying she wouldn't blush at his closeness. He flicked on the lamp next to the bed since the light outside was dying from the cloud cover, and leaned in to get a better look. With careful precision, he slid the tip of the knife through her skin over the splinter, then took the tweezers and deftly gripped it and pulled it out with a small tug. He held the splinter up for her to see - it was pretty small for how much trouble it caused - then cleaned her hand with antiseptic. She winced.

"Annie?" Raeger murmured as he held a cotton ball to the tiny wound, then stuck it in place with medical tape. "I'm truly sorry for how I acted toward you. I don't want to hurt you."

She looked up, not realizing just how close he had leaned in while removing her splinter. Their noses nearly brushed as she did so, and she felt her cheeks betray her as they reddened.

"It's fine if you don't want me," she responded, aware of how pathetic she sounded.

He maintained their eye contact as he answered quietly, his voice gruff with emotion. "You don't know what I want."

Annie's heartbeat sped up. What did he mean?

"What do you want?" Her voice was a whisper.

She heard him swallow, but neither one of them moved apart. She held her breath, as she didn't dare make a sound. His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles, and she closed her eyes as he leaned in a fraction of an inch closer to her. Every bit of her yearned for him to close the gap between them and kiss her. She parted her lips slightly as she felt his lips meet hers, gently and slowly. Heat rushed through her body at the contact.

The door to the cabin was thrown open without a knock, and Raeger jumped back, releasing her hands as well. Annie heard a thump as he fell back into the bedside table, then watched as he scrambled to his feet and turned around to see who had interrupted them.

Agate stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-" She stopped, laughing nervously. "I'll leave so you guys can finish."

Annie and Raeger both began stuttering at her response, but she had already left, closing the door behind her. Annie looked at him, and noticed he was blushing - probably as much as she was.

"Ah... I'll clean this up," Raeger said quickly, gesturing to the bloody tweezers and wipes.

"Oh, good!" She replied too loudly, and the two stood with their arms crossed, staring at each other. Annie giggled, feeling breathless. "I'll, uh... Go help Agate. With the hay."

Raeger nodded, and Annie left the cabin with relief. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. A million thoughts and feelings were rushing through her, but she was so elated she swore she could fly. They had pretty much just_ kissed_. Did that mean he definitely _did_ feel the same way about her? He must feel something, based on his actions.

She practically skipped back to the barn, a grin forcing itself on her face. As she came near, she heard Agate's voice and wondered if Kamil had shown up. She was about to walk around the front of the barn to ask Agate where the hay bales were when she saw that Kamil had indeed shown up, and he had Agate in his arms as he smiled. She felt a trill of happiness for her friend, then, thinking it best not to disturb their moment, Annie surveyed the area and found the hay bales stacked at the back of the barn. She quietly opened the back doors and began carrying the bales in and placing them in the back stall. Annie couldn't shake the thought that perhaps Raeger felt the same about her as she did. She kept nervously glancing toward the cabin, waiting for Raeger to appear.

* * *

Raeger watched out the small cabin window as she walked away, her waist-length blonde hair blowing gently in the wind. His heart was still hammering - had they just kissed?

"What am I doing?" He whispered to himself, not quite grasping what had nearly just happened.

He had already told himself that nothing could happen between them. So why, when he was actually near her, was it so hard to keep his personal promises?

He wasn't normally an impulsive person. He thought things through, weighing his options and predicting outcomes before making a decision. But when he was with Annie, he found himself wanting to throw caution to the wind - as he'd just done. Goddess, she was stubborn, but somehow it made him want to kiss her more; She was so cute when she pouted at him.

Raeger smiled, touching his lips gently with his finger tips, where he'd briefly felt her lips. Being with her felt so right. Knowing she felt something for him, too, made it nearly impossible for him to stay away from her.

But he had to; Because everything has to end at some point, and the more you care about someone, the more it hurts when they're gone.

* * *

"_I have a date with Kamil!_" Agate hissed to Annie, obviously trying to contain her excitement. The two were crouched in the barn by the hay bales, whispering loudly while Kamil went to get Raeger.

Annie blinked. "Really? That's great!"

"Oh, my God, I almost forgot. You and Raeger kissed! Do you have a date with him, too?"

Annie fiddled with the material of her pants. "We didn't _really_ kiss. Our lips barely touched."

Agate beamed nonetheless. "Well he wouldn't be that close to you if he didn't _want_ to. He's got to feel something."

"Sometimes I think he does, but then he'll act like nothing happened, and I'm left wondering if he even notices that he... Does this, to me," Annie admitted. "He knows how I feel, but-"

"Wait, what?" Agate grabbed her arm, interrupting her. "He knows?"

Annie nodded, but kept her mouth shut as she heard footsteps approaching outside.

"Come over to my place and catch me up?" Agate asked.

Annie smiled. "Sure."

Just then, the back door opened and Kamil came in carrying hay, Raeger behind him with more.

"This is the last of it," Kamil stated, sharing a smile with Agate as he passed to place it in the stall.

"Thanks so much for your help, guys. Looks like the rain's starting." Agate gestured to the foreboding sky.

Annie noticed droplets of water in Raeger's hair as well. The young chef was standing next to her, but not acknowledging her presence. Annie held her breath, not sure what to say to him, if anything, given the fact that Agate and Kamil were there. Just as she had the thought, the two of them turned and left the barn, chatting happily.

Suddenly Raeger turned to her, a conflicted look on his face. "Annie," he began, not quite meeting her gaze. "Can you come to the restaurant later?"

"I've got plans with Agate when we get back to town, but I can tonight, sure," she replied with a smile.

He nodded at her, and as his eyes met hers she wasn't sure what she saw, but it wasn't the happiness she felt. A knot of dread began clenching her stomach as he walked away. Trying to shake the feeling, she followed him out and met up with Agate. The two began walking home, and although the sun was still bright in the sky, Annie shivered.

* * *

The clouds parted, revealing the sun that was beginning to dip below the treeline, creating massive silhouettes of the forest in front of the inflamed sky. Annie approached the restaurant, anxiety making her stomach turn. She didn't know what was about to happen.

She had filled Agate in on the events of the week before, after she had left the bar with Raeger, and what had happened in the cabin at the safari. At first she had been ecstatic, but that changed when Annie told her how he had looked after the sort-of-kiss.

"Maybe he's just nervous," Agate had suggested, but from her tone, Annie could tell she didn't believe her own words. From what she could tell, Raeger felt something too... So why had he looked so conflicted?

Annie bit back her uncertainty, took in a trembling breath and knocked at the restaurant door, since it was closed that day. When it opened, Annie saw Raeger had the same conflicted look on his face.

"Hey," she said, attempting to sound neutral.

"Hi," he replied, motioning for her to come in. "I've gotta talk to you."

Annie swallowed nervously as she entered the building, taking a seat at the counter. He sat next to her and turned so they were face to face.

Raeger took a moment to start. Finally, he seemed to find some composure and began: "I don't think it's a good idea for us to... Start something." He swallowed loudly, and Annie could see regret in his eyes as he continued. "I just can't do it. I'm sorry, I know that doesn't explain much, but I'm just not ready to have something like that with somebody."

Annie stared at him. Something didn't add up. "I don't get why, though." Raeger looked down, then to the stairs as if he would have liked to bolt up them. "I just don't know if I can have a relationship right now."

"You kissed me."

"That was a mistake, I shouldn't have done it."

Annie looked at him closely. "Why did you kiss me?"

He turned and looked at her, then. "I wanted to. I probably would have, if Agate hadn't come in."

"I would have kissed you back. Why did you, though?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you," Raeger said so quietly she almost couldn't hear him.

Annie blinked, astonished. She had suspected he had feelings for her, but she hadn't expected this. She didn't know what to say.

"I've lost so many people that were close to me, Annie," he nearly whispered to her. "I can't do it again."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not going to die, Raeger. Not anytime soon, anyway," she joked.

He didn't laugh. "I'm scared, Annie."

She took his hand in hers, feeling him flinch a bit at the contact. "So you'll go your whole life without having a relationship because you could lose them? That's no way to live. Everyone loses someone in their life, there isn't a way to avoid it, but denying yourself any closeness because of what could happen is even more heartbreaking, I think."

He swallowed, like he was about to respond, but Annie continued. "I'm sorry you lost so many people, Raeger. I don't really understand how it must have felt, but please don't push me away because of it."

"Dying isn't the only way you can lose someone, Annie."

"Sometimes you have to go through a few breakups before you find the person you're meant to be with," she responded without hesitation. "But, I mean, I'm here right now, and I want to be with you." She felt embarrassed admitting it out loud to him for the first time.

He sat still for a long moment as though deep in thought, his eyes fixed on their hands. Then, he looked at her with a small smile. "I want to be with you, too."

"What? I mean, really?" She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

He reached to her and pulled her against him, holding her tightly by the waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling inexplicably happy. She felt his hand move up her back to rest on the back of her head, and she sighed happily.

When he finally unwrapped her from his arms, he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. She grinned at the gesture, squeezing his hand and drawing a smile from him, too.

"Does that mean I can have a kiss, now?" She asked a bit shyly.

He chuckled softly. As he tilted his head slightly, Annie licked her lips a bit to moisten them. She let her eyes flutter shut as his lips brushed hers, when suddenly he pulled back and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose.

She wrinkled her nose a bit at the wetness, pulling back to see him laugh at her. She wiped his spit off her nose, although she had to admit she liked his kisses, no matter where they were.

"Tease," she muttered, her cheeks hot.

He laughed again, kissing her pink cheek this time. "I'll tell you what," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. "Come back tomorrow evening, and we'll do this right."

Annie raised an eyebrow at him quizzically as he pulled back. "I have to wait until tomorrow to kiss you?"

"Mhmm," came his response as he stood, pulling her to her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she said, although she would rather have kissed him right then and there. "See you tomorrow."

They embraced again as they reached the door. "I'm glad this went differently than I had planned," Raeger murmured against her hair before letting her go.

"Me too," replied Annie, delighted at Raeger's affection.

She turned to leave, bidding him farewell. He grabbed the door before it could shut.

"Hey, Annie. Wear a dress tomorrow, if you have one."


	8. An Accident

Some of you might hate me for this chapter, hahahah. Sorry it's a little bit shorter than usual again, but I really wanted to leave it at a bit of a cliff hanger. The next one will be longer, and I will attempt to plan the chapters so they aren't so short again.

Thank you all so much for your reviews. I really appreciate the compliments, and the critiques. :) This is my first attempt at writing a story, to be honest, and it's really nice to know that it is being received well.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

It was a beautiful, sunny day when Annie realized it was finally summer. She had never liked the heat of summer in the city, but the warm air of the country wasn't thick like the polluted air of the city, and she could still breathe properly while feeling the delightful warmth of sunlight on her back as she worked.

The weather in Oak Tree Town really was lovely - besides the storm a week after Annie's late-spring arrival, it had been mostly warm and sunny. She sighed happily as she watered her crops, breathing deeply and feeling peaceful.

The calm feeling was interrupted periodically by the feeling of butterflies and a bit of anxiety every time she remembered that she had a date with Raeger that evening. She felt excitement course through her veins as she wondered what it was going to be like to finally kiss him, and she grinned. A low moo caught her attention, and she noticed Hanako was watching her idly as she chewed fodder. Maybe she found it odd that her owner was smiling to herself alone in her field.

"I'm so _excited_," the farmer told her cow loudly. "Don't look at me with those judge-y little eyes." Hanako let out another low moo in response, and Annie laughed out loud, walking over to rub the large animal on her broad head.

"I still don't know what I'm going to wear," she confided to the bovine, who regarded the girl passively. "He wants me to wear a dress. I don't even _have_ a dress. I guess you don't really know my struggle, eh?"

Annie scratched the cow behind the ear affectionately before going inside her house. She only had one dress, and it probably wasn't what Raeger was expecting. Opening her closet, she found the old green dress she owned, and cringed at it. It was a hand-me-down, and she knew she couldn't wear it on a date. Maybe she could borrow someone else's, though.

Putting away the dingy outfit, she reached for the phone and dialed Agate's number.

* * *

"What's this one's name?" Agate asked excitedly, gesturing to Annie's chickens.

"Her name's Husk, and the other is Chip," Annie answered, proud to be showing off her livestock to an animal expert.

Her friend beamed, gently examining the poultry. She nodded approvingly. "They're growing up nice and healthy! You've got some great animals."

Annie thanked her friend before they left, but not before scooping Rusty up as he swatted at a loose feather sticking out of Chip's wing. She let the feisty feline down as they left the coop, then turned to her friend.

"So there's a reason I called you," she began. "I have a date with Raeger."

"Finally! That's great! Need some advice?" Agate winked.

She laughed. "No, no, but I_ was _wondering if you have a dress I could borrow."

Agate cocked her head to the side slightly. "A dress? Isn't that a bit much for a first date?"

Annie explained that Raeger had specifically requested that she wear a dress. Agate clasped her hands together, her eyes looking starry.

"Oh, that's so romantic!" She murmured. "I wish Kamil would do something like that. I've got a date with him tonight, too, actually."

"Where's he taking you?" "To the city, I think. He wants to take me out for dinner, but Raeger's restaurant is closed late so I assume it isn't in town."

"Plus, it would be kinda weird if you guys were there for _my_ date." She laughed. "What are you gonna wear?"

"I'm not sure, I was just going to go check Silk Country's wares to see if they have anything. In fact, you could do that, too. I don't really have any dresses either - being a ranger really doesn't call for fancy stuff like that."

Annie laughed, knowing the feeling. "That's a great idea, mind if I come with you?"

Agate nodded her approval, and they walked to town. Annie tried - and failed - to avoid glancing at the restaurant as they passed, wondering if Raeger was as excited as she was.

As they reached the trading depot, Annie noticed a lot of the customers had dogs with them. She watched as a man demonstrated his bulldog's tricks as the bulky animal rolled, stood and barked on command.

"That's pretty neat," Annie observed, pointing to the dog. "Wonder what everyone's doing with their dogs."

"Next season is the Pet Promenade, so usually in the summer a bunch of people will come show off their pets early. It helps their performance if everyone already knows their pet," Agate explained. "But hey, looks like Silk Country brought some clothing today."

Annie glanced over to the red wagon and was happy to see a table of linens and silks that were sewn into various styles of shirts, gowns, skirts, and yes, dresses. As they approached them, Agate's attention was immediately drawn to a red dress. She held it up to Annie.

"Whaddya think?" "I thought you weren't wearing a dress," Annie replied, although she had to admit it was beautiful.

"Not for _me_, for _you_."

The dress looked like it would go almost to her knee, and was made of a silky bold red material. It had a single thick strap that curved down under the chest and tightened at the waist, and the bottom rippled beautifully.

Annie tried to imagine herself wearing the dress, and bit her lip. "Is it too much?"

Agate shook her head. "No way, this would be perfect."

She ended up taking Agate's advice, and she bought the dress - although it was a bit pricey - and they found a pretty green shirt for Agate to wear on her date as well.

They spent an hour or so browsing the rest of the wares that were for sale that day. Annie had her dress carefully folded up in a bag, and as she carried it around she couldn't help but wonder what Raeger was going to think of it.

As they were about to leave, Annie heard a desperate shout from the center of the trading depot, and whipped around to see that a Rottweiler had pulled free from her owner and was running across the plaza, leash trailing behind.

"Sasha!" The owner, a young woman, hollered after the large black and tan dog. "Sasha, come back!"

The canine was bolting toward the exit of the plaza, not too far from where they were standing. Reacting on impulse, Annie dropped her bag and rushed forward to grab the leash. Realizing she would miss it, she instead stomped on it, pulling the dog to an abrupt stop. She reached for the collar before the leash could be pulled free from under her foot, but the Rottweiler saw her reaching and twisted her head around, burying her teeth into Annie's right forearm. The dog tugged, hard, and Annie felt her flesh tear.

Annie let out a strangled cry, squeezing her eyes shut as pain ripped through her entire arm up to her shoulder. She stumbled forward to prevent the dog from pulling back again, and opened her eyes to see that Agate was crouched behind the dog, grabbing both her hind feet and lifting them in the air. The dog immediately let go, and Annie gasped in pain, holding her arm to her chest and clenching her teeth tight.

Agate had two of the Rottweiler's legs, one front and one back, and was holding them off the ground, with her elbow pushing the dog's head to the ground as the dog was forced to lay on her side. The owner had run over, and was frantically telling Agate to let go of her baby.

Annie felt sweat bead on her face as she struggled to keep from vomiting. Her arm throbbed with every quick heartbeat, and she could feel her arm bleeding although she was compressing it against her chest. She watched as Agate finally backed away from the Rottweiler carefully, the owner taking her place with the dog, who was now behaving happily once more. Annie heard the owner apologize profusely, clutching her dog to her chest and insisting she was really a nice dog.

The wounded girl nodded mutely in response, her eyes squeezed shut as she willed her arm to stop hurting and bleeding. Eventually, Annie allowed her friend to help her up, her bagged dress slung over her arm. As they walked to the clinic, she struggled to stay conscious, darkness bordering her vision.

Dr. Marian's eyes sharpened as he took in Annie's state, and he coaxed her to lay down in the same bed she had spent the night in when she had sprained her wrist. He immediately pressed a thick pad of gauze into her wound while Agate explained what had happened.

"Is the dog's owner around?" He asked.

Agate shrugged. "I think so. She was just at the trade depot."

"Could you go get her and ask her to wait in the guild? We need to make sure her dog has its vaccines."

Agate nodded and gave Annie a worried look before going out to find the owner. Marian turned to Annie.

"This bite wound is quite deep. I think it will definitely need stitches," he told Annie after the bleeding had slowed, and he had examined the wound. "Are you allergic to any anesthetics or antibiotics?"

"Uh, I don't know about anesthetics," she murmured, a bit nervous for the procedure.

Marian nodded, then began preparing suture materials and a syringe of anesthetic. He then took her vitals before beginning the needle stung a bit as it went in, although Annie was surprised she felt it, as her wound was still throbbing. She looked away, feeling a bit queasy.

"The dog bit quite deep, so I'm going to do some dissolving sutures under the skin as well as permanent ones on top. You'll have to come back in a week or so to get those removed."

Annie nodded as Marian touched her arm, which she could not feel. After it numbed, he flushed her wound and placed a sheet over her arm, the bite visible through an opening. She looked away again as she saw him snip a length of suture and clip it into a tweezer-like tool. She was aware of a vague pulling sensation as he stitched her arm, but was relieved that it was completely painless. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, feeling exhausted now that the adrenaline had worn off.

She opened her eyes some time later, feeling someone shake her awake. She blinked drowsily, recognizing Marian. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep.

"Here, sweetheart, this is your antibiotic for today," he handed her a small pill and glass of water for her to take it with. "You'll need to take one twice a day until they're gone, okay?"

Annie nodded, and gulped water down with the pill.

"The dog that bit you is thankfully up to date on its vaccines, so there shouldn't be any worries. Just make sure you keep the area around the stitches clean, but don't use soap on them. Take it easy with your arm as well, and it should heal just fine."

Annie smiled lazily. "Thanks."

He smiled back and patted her shoulder. "You really have bad luck with your arm, dear. Try to be more careful - I don't want to have to amputate any of your limbs."

She laughed. "I'll try to be more careful."

"You may rest here as long as you like, Annie."

She thanked the doctor again, then shut her eyes. Wondering briefly where Agate had gone, she slipped into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

She still felt groggy when she woke in the dark some time later. Straining to focus her eyes, she heard soft breathing and realized Agate was sleeping curled up in the chair next to her bed. Suddenly Annie gasped, then shook Agate awake, surprised to feel pain in her arm again.

"Agate. Agate, wake up! What time is it?"

The ranger mumbled groggily, then held her watch under the moonlight shining in through the window.

"5:00am," she said, yawning.

Annie felt her stomach twist. She had missed her date with Raeger.


	9. A Date?

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter – and it's longer, as promised!

Hope you enjoy! ;P

* * *

Walking briskly, Annie sighed in frustration. The continuous lovely summer weather begged her to be in a better mood, but she would have none of it. She had just left the clinic after almost an entire morning of waiting around for Dr. Marian to return to the clinic and give her antibiotics so she could leave. At least she had been able to take a nice hot – although awkward, as she had to avoid washing her stitches with soap - shower in the clinic, so she wouldn't be unclean when she finally went to the restaurant. A few warnings about being gentle with her stitches later, she rushed out of the building, intent on going to see Raeger to explain what had happened.

Agate had stayed with her the entire time, even though she had to call Kamil to postpone their date. Annie was touched by her friend's gesture, as she knew how much she had been looking forward to seeing him. Agate insisted that he would understand, and had stayed with her the entire night. Annie felt horrible. She hoped Raeger suspected something had happened to keep her from him, and didn't think she had changed her mind about the whole idea of being with him. The thought made her stomach twist.

Her sutured arm throbbing, she made her way toward the restaurant, feeling anxious. The bag with her new dress swung from her uninjured arm, since she hadn't made it home yet to put it away. She was nearly at the building when a worried-looking Fritz popped out from behind a bush, and blocked her path.

"Annie! You've gotta help me!" He begged, tears filling his eyes. "You know Elise's horse? The huge brown one?"

Annie stopped walking reluctantly, and sighed. "Yes."

"I lost him!" He wailed, his eyes showing his panic.

Annie stared at the red-headed boy. "You _what?_"

"I asked Elise if I could take him out for a ride, and when I went in my house to get some apples for him, he was _gone_," he said miserably.

"You left him outside without tethering him?"

Fritz nodded in response, and Annie groaned, annoyed.

Fritz' eyes opened wider, a desperate look on his face. "Annie, Elise will _kill_ me. Please, please, _please_ help me."

Annie grumbled a few swear words under her breath, but began walking away from the restaurant, toward the mountain paths. "Fine. But we've gotta find him quick."

"Thank you so much!" He chirped, falling into step beside her. "Besides, Raeger's in a pretty bad mood anyway."

Annie felt sick to her stomach. He must be upset that she hadn't shown up. It took a lot of effort for her to walk in the opposite direction of him with Fritz.

The sun climbing high in the perfectly clear blue sky, the two began scouring the mountainside, looking for any sign of a horse. With every place they checked being the wrong place, Annie felt her anxiety increase as she wondered what Raeger was thinking. _I'm sorry_, she thought desperately. _Please, Goddess, let him forgive me._

By the time the sun had completed half its arc across the sky, they had searched every inch of the mountain trails and the woods on the edge. There wasn't a single horse hair or hoof print on any of the rented farm areas, either. Annie was beginning to wonder if the horse had sneaked past them and went to the town, when it struck her.

"Fritz... Did you check your farm?"

He turned to her and blinked. "Oh. Uh..."

Annie immediately began jogging in the direction of Fritz' farm, although her arm hurt with every step. She clenched her teeth and carried on, praying to the Harvest Goddess that the horse would be there.

Sure enough, the great animal was languidly chewing grass smack in the middle of the overgrown farm field. Annie whipped around and shot Fritz a glare. They had been searching for hours for an animal that hadn't budged from Fritz' own property.

As he approached the horse cautiously, Annie stifled another sigh as she realized she would have to care for her animals before returning to town; They all would normally have been fed at least five or six hours ago had she spent the night at home. She shut her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Raeger would still be there that evening. She would feed her animals quick, then run to the restaurant.

As she turned to make her way back home, a grunt caught her attention and she glanced over her shoulder. Elise's horse was rearing up on his hind legs, and Fritz had fallen on his rump in the dirt, shielding his face. As the animal settled back on all fours, Fritz jumped to his feet and backed away from the horse. She watched as he reached tentatively toward him, only to receive a warning nip.

Annie cringed, expecting it as the farmer turned to her with fear in his eyes. "Annie-"

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, stepping forward to help. Stepping confidently but non-threateningly toward the equine, she reached out slowly and rubbed him on the nose. He was a very large, handsome horse, that was for sure. He towered over her, but allowed her to rub his face. She gently gripped his bridal for lack of a lead to guide him toward town. Fritz followed behind her quietly, probably aware of Annie's growing anger.

She took another yearning glance toward Raeger's restaurant as they walked the cobblestone path up toward Elise's mansion. The sound of the horse's hooves clicking on the ground was drowned out by roaring fountains that poured endlessly into large artificial ponds. Red and purple flowers were spread professionally around the base of the water, and had Annie been in a positive mood, she might have slowed down to appreciate the beauty.

Annie got a reluctant Fritz to hold the horse at the bottom of the stairs as she boldly walked up to knock on the door. Before she could, a voice snapped at her.

"What do you want?" A young man with tanned skin and strangely pale hair was standing a few feet away, his arms folded against his chest with a small frown on his face.

Taken by surprise, Annie stumbled back a bit. "This is Elise's horse. We've brought it back for her."

He grunted without a word, and disappeared inside. A few moments later, a rather angry-looking Elise stepped out, two servants behind her.

"Fritz," the blonde hissed. "Where have you _been_? You told me you were taking Celio for a quick ride. It's been hours!"

The normally loud farmer stuttered as he struggled to find something to say to the enraged girl.

"And oh, his coat! It's filthy!" She glowered, then snapped her fingers at her servants. "Take this poor creature back to the barn right away, and brush this filth off him!"

The servants bowed, and went right to their task, taking Celio away toward the back where the barn must have been. Elise turned on Annie, then, looking her up and down.

"Why are you here? It isn't enough that you're using valuable farm land for your pitiful crops and pathetic livestock, but now you have the gall to show up here? Hoping for some ideas to improve your poor little farm?" She sneered. "Clearly, you seem to have chosen the wrong occupation – you can't even afford your own horse!"

Annie's eyes narrowed as the spoiled girl insulted her. She felt her anger boil, threatening to explode.

"I mean, you can't farm well. You don't work for anyone else. You're pretty much just a waste of space. Why don't you sell your farm land to me?" She laughed harshly. "I'd be able to buy it for much more than you will ever make with it. As a real farmer, I have actual income."

Suddenly Annie's tight-lipped expression changed to a smirk. "You're getting your money from standing here insulting me while your servants do the real work. You aren't a real farmer, you prissy little bitch."

She heard Fritz gasp as she swiveled on her foot and walked the other way before she could witness Elise's reaction. As she made her way off the property, she noticed the rude white-haired man who had called Elise for them was grinning; He must have witnessed her encounter with Elise. Annie wondered if anyone else ever stood up against the rich blonde girl. The man returned to tending the garden as she left.

She heard quick footsteps as Fritz caught up with her. He was grinning, too. "That was _awesome_."

Annie smiled a bit, her anger relieved slightly. She then sighed as she realized the sun was beginning to descend toward the trees. Bidding farewell to Fritz quickly, she made her way back along the mountain paths toward home.

As she finally entered her house, she read the clock on her nightstand: 5:43. That gave her a few hours to take care of her animals and prepare to go see Raeger after closing time.

* * *

The hot sun had finally come to rest below the tree line as Annie walked into town, her red dress rippling at her thighs. She received a few weird glances from residents of Oak Tree Town – there wasn't really anywhere in town to dress up for, so a girl in a nice dress was a rare sight. She held her head high and walked past them, eager yet afraid to see Raeger.

She paused at his door to take a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure how this would go. He could be upset with her for missing their date, and it could ruin things between them. She wouldn't even blame him if he were that upset – It was now almost twenty-four hours after their date was supposed to be. On the other hand, he was a very kind person. Perhaps he would forgive her, and they could plan for another date. She bit her lip, nervous for either outcome.

Before she could chicken out, she forced herself to raise her fist and knock on the door. She held her breath, hoping for the best. As he opened the door, she felt her heart race faster. When his handsome features appeared in the doorway, she felt her heart clench. He was wearing a dress shirt as usual, only this one was red, with a black tie positioned over the bold colour. It was as dressed up as she had seen him, and it looked incredible on him. She tried for a smile, but it was difficult, given her nervous state.

"Hi," she said simply.

He frowned at her. "What happened?"

"I'm so sorry," she began.

"Changed your mind?" He smiled halfheartedly. His expression broke Annie's heart a little.

She widened her eyes in surprise. "What? No, not at all. I was stuck at the clinic last night." She began telling him how she had been bitten and required stitches, but he stopped her.

"Does it really matter? If you had wanted me to know you had been held up, why wouldn't you have come earlier than now? I was worried. I went up to your farm and everything, and you weren't there."

Her bottom lip started quivering as she pushed back tears. So she _had_ ruined things. "Raeger, I'm so-"

He interrupted her with a sigh. "Annie, I don't think we're a good idea," he stated abruptly.

She stood, silent, for a moment. "Are you serious?" She asked quietly.

Their sad gazes met for a moment. She couldn't believe she had screwed this up. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone else. Even if she was only twenty years old, she had the feeling that it was hard to come by feelings such as hers for Raeger, and she didn't want to let this go. She had really thought that they could be something wonderful, but now she was stuck looking at his forlorn expression and wishing that she could do yesterday over.

Suddenly, Raeger cracked a smile at the confused girl and laughed. "No, come on in. You look beautiful."

She blinked, more confused now than ever, standing in the doorway. After a moment's hesitation, she followed him inside. "Wait, you're not upset?"

After shutting the door behind her, he pulled her into a warm hug. She sighed into it, resting her head on his chest.

He pulled back to look at her. "Of course not. I heard about what happened from Fritz. I was going to come see you at the clinic last night, but Fritz convinced me it would be more romantic if I surprised you with a date tonight."

Annie rolled her eyes in an attempt to cover up the fact that she was blushing. "Kind of annoying, if you ask me. How did Fritz even find out where I was?"

He shrugged. "No idea. I'm glad he told me, though." Raeger took her right hand in his, and pressed a kiss to her arm, a few inches away from her stitches. She nervously met his eyes, feeling fluttery and not entirely in control of herself.

He moved away from her, toward the dining room. Annie inhaled deeply, and felt her stomach rumble at the scent of food. She noticed all of the tables in the dining room had been pushed to the side, except one, which had a table cloth, candle and two wine glasses with a bottle of red wine on it.

"Have a seat," he insisted, offering her his arm and leading her to the table he had set for two. He pulled out a chair for her, and Annie sat, smiling like a fool. He winked at her. "One sec."

He disappeared into the kitchen momentarily, and when he returned he had two steaming plates in his hands. He set them on the table, and Annie felt her stomach rumble again at the sight of the meal. A pile of gnocchi sat on the plate, covered with a creamy tomato sauce and spinach. Two wedges of crusty bread were tucked in the side of the dish, smothered with cheese and garlic. Her mouth gushed as the scent filled her nostrils.

"Wine?" He asked her with a smile.

She nodded, her stomach flipping. Maybe a bit of alcohol would calm her nerves; She didn't want to mess anything up. They were _finally_ having a date!

He poured the red liquid into the glasses and set them down, then sat in the chair adjacent to hers. As Annie took a tentative sip of wine, she felt his knee gently brush hers and nearly choked on the bitter fruity liquid. She took another sip to cover her embarrassment.

"Dig in," Raeger encouraged her.

She smiled, picking up a fork. "This looks great. I don't think I've actually tried your cooking before." Spearing a piece of gnocchi, she popped it in her mouth and chewed slowly. Surprisingly, the white chunks were full of flavour; Raeger definitely knew how to use spices and herbs properly. "This is really good!"

He nodded his thanks a bit sheepishly, taking his first bite of the meal as well. "What about you, Annie? Do you cook?"

"A few things. My dad's a chef, too, so he ended up doing most of the cooking at home, but I'm not bad when I do get the chance to cook," she replied.

"Maybe next time you can cook for me." Raeger took a sip of wine.

Blushing at the thought of a second date, Annie covered her fluster by mimicking him and drinking a mouthful of wine. "How did you learn to cook? From your parents?" She asked, hoping the subject wouldn't upset him.

"No, my grandpa. When I was little and I visited him here he'd let me watch him prepare dishes for the customers, and when business was slow he'd show me techniques and stuff. Eventually, when he was becoming ill more often, he asked me to fill in for him on days when he couldn't work. By the time he'd passed away, I was used to working here, so it wasn't really a surprise when he asked me to take it over."

"Do you still use his recipes here?" Annie inquired.

Raeger nodded. "I kept all his recipes, and I only expanded the menu with my own. Even if it isn't really his restaurant anymore, I want it to keep his touches in it. He was the one who started the business up, after all."

"Is this one of his recipes, or yours?" She gestured to the gnocchi.

"This one's all mine," he told her with a wink.

Annie felt warm under his gaze, and averted her eyes to the plate in front of her. "I'd say it's an improvement to the restaurant, then." She looked up and noticed him smile at her compliment.

"So if your dad did all the cooking, what did your mom enjoy doing?" He asked.

"Working. She worked more often than my dad did," she replied. "She owns an event planning business in the city, and it got so popular that she'd often travel to help with weddings and parties and things. She even assisted in planning a royal wedding, once."

"Was she not around a lot, then?"

She shook her head. "Her work always comes first. Her and I haven't really been close since I was a kid. My dad doesn't really like it either I don't think, but you can't talk my mom out of anything. She's stubborn."

Raeger laughed, to which Annie raised an eyebrow. "Like mother, like daughter."

"What? I don't work _that_ much," she responded.

"That isn't what I meant." He was clearly trying to hide a smirk.

Annie narrowed her eyes playfully. "I am _not_ stubborn!" She declared, further proving Raeger's point.

He laughed loudly at that. "You're stubborn as _hell_, Annie."

"Name one time," she demanded.

"As I recall, when I was reluctant to share my feelings, you dragged them out of me."

"Well can you really blame me? You were giving me mixed signals," she retorted.

"How about when you were angry with me that same day, when we went to the safari with Agate? I had to apologize to you, what, three times?"

"I said name _one_ time, Raeger," she murmured.

He grinned at her. "How about the time at the bar, when I punched that creep for you? And you still wouldn't let me comfort you until I got you home."

Her cheeks burned at the memory of him holding her in her bed. "That was the day you were angry with me."

"You lied to me," he pointed out.

"I know, I'm sorry. I liked you coming to my farm to help me," she admitted, her cheeks still tinged red.

He shook his head. "No, I meant you lied when I asked you if you had something you needed to tell me."

Annie blinked. "You knew I liked you then?"

"I suspected it, but you could have told me. Would've made this happen a bit sooner," he said, referring to their date.

"Well, we're here now," Annie responded optimistically.

Raeger smiled at her, and took her hand atop the table. "We are, and I'm really glad, Annie."

Her heart fluttered at his touch, and as their gazes met she wondered if in that moment she would get to kiss him again. Her eyes flicked to his lips just as he stood, pulling her up with him. She wasn't expecting it, and she felt a bit of disappointment as he walked away from her. She watched him behind the kitchen counter as he reached up toward a radio on a shelf. He turned it on, and soft music began playing.

He walked back across the room to her, and suddenly _he_ looked a bit unsure of himself. "Dance with me," he said, holding out his hand to her.

Annie giggled. "This is so cheesy," she said meekly as she allowed him to take her hand and pull her into a dancing position. He pulled her in so close she could feel their bodies touching, and rested his other hand on her waist. She gasped softly at the contact, then remembered to place her hand on his shoulder.

The combination of his closeness and cologne was making her feel a little bit lightheaded, in the best way she had ever felt. She closed her eyes, rested her cheek against his collarbone, and swayed along with him to the slow music. He held her closer, his hand rubbing her lower back gently as he moved. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was the longest she had been this close to him while being sober, and it felt amazing.

"I'm glad you're here," Annie heard Raeger whisper as he moved – to kiss her cheek? - just as she looked up at him. His lips were still puckered slightly as their eyes met. Suddenly, _finally, _she felt his lips press against hers in a sweet kiss. Her muscles felt weak as electricity jolted through her veins at the contact. He began massaging her lips with his, and she kissed him back as though she were drowning and he were air. Something solid touched Annie's back, and she realized she was leaning against the outside of the kitchen counter. When had that happened?

A soft moan escaped her lips as Raeger deepened the kiss, one of his hands holding the back of her head and one still on her waist. She felt his tongue graze her lips ever so slightly, and she shivered as a fluttery warmth spread through her chest. She allowed him to dip his tongue between her lips, and she brushed her own against his. He pulled her tight against him at her consent, and their tongues mingled together passionately as they kissed. Annie was surprised and delighted to hear him moan quietly as she tried to take control of the kiss. He pinned her hips against the counter with his, and she gasped at the suggestive contact. At this point, she felt like her insides were liquid. She found herself wondering how far Raeger wanted to take this; If she was honest with herself, she wanted as much of him as he was willing to give. All reasonable thought seemed to have left her as Raeger kissed her senseless.

Suddenly, she felt cool air touch her damp lips as he pulled back slightly. She opened her eyes, confused, then felt him press a feather-light kiss to her cheek. Without a spoken word, their arms wrapped around each other and Annie felt him hold her close. She sighed contentedly, feeling comfort take the place of their passion. She truly felt safe in Raeger's arms.

They stayed that way for a long while, just enjoying the closeness. Eventually, they pulled away and shared another, softer, kiss. Annie felt herself melt all over again, until he pulled away again, looking at her with an odd expression on his face.

"What?" She asked, nervous that she had done something wrong.

He smiled. "Nothing." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "You, ah... look like an angel tonight, Annie. Well, you always do," he admitted.

She blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself," she replied, biting her kiss-swollen lip at the sight of him: handsome, but with hair a bit more ruffled than usual after their passionate embrace.

Raeger gently brushed a few of her stray blonde strands of hair back into place, then took her hand in his. "It's getting late. Let me take you home."

They walked, hand in hand, out of town and toward Annie's home. The night had cooled the summer air considerably, and the two traveled mostly in comfortable silence, listening to the sound of crickets along the path. She caught him stealing glances at her more than once, and every time it made her feel incredibly happy that she was with him. She looked over at him as she caught him watching her, and he simply squeezed her hand and smiled in response.

As they reached her doorstep, Annie turned toward Raeger, hoping for another kiss. She wasn't disappointed, as he tilted his head and slowly pressed his lips to hers again. She leaned forward into him, relishing the taste and feel of him. All too soon, he pulled away.

"Can I see you again?" He asked quietly. She couldn't see much in the dark, but she could barely make out his hopeful expression.

"Yes," she answered automatically. "_Please."_

He chuckled softly at her response, and Annie leaned in again. Their lips connected again, and she had to admit she was tempted to invite him inside, if only to kiss him some more. It was only the first date, though, so she restrained herself.

As the kiss started to deepen, Raeger suddenly stopped. "No," he said breathlessly. "I'm going to be a gentleman." He quickly pecked her on the lips.

Annie stifled a laugh at his serious statement. They embraced romantically one last time before he finally stepped away from her. "I had a great time. Goodnight, Angel," he murmured, winking.

She blushed at the cheesy nickname. "So did I. Thank you for everything," she added. "Goodnight, Raeger."

Annie finally went inside, and after she had shut the door, she touched her fingertips to her lips. She grinned, feeling happier than she could ever remember feeling. It took a while to fall asleep that night, but as she drifted off, she realized how grateful she was that she had moved to Oak Tree Town.

* * *

I entitled this chapter with a question mark, as I wanted you to _hope_ that they were going to have a date, but didn't want to straight up spoil it! Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	10. A Visit

I think I'm just going to stop apologizing for how long updates are taking, as I will be starting college soon and I will be pretty busy! But I promise that I will do my best to update in my free time when I am not at work or in class. :)

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Annie's eyes flew open as the sound of her telephone ringing resounded throughout her small home. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, a bit surprised. Nobody usually called her, except occasionally Agate; Maybe she wanted more help at the safari. She reached for the phone and grabbed it, nearly dropping it in her groggy state as she pulled it to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"Annie. How are you?" Came the sharp reply on the other end.

She jolted awake at the unexpected sound of the woman's voice on the line, sitting upright in her bed and gripping her pillow with her hand that wasn't holding the phone.

"Hi. I'm good, you?" She replied stiffly.

A snort was audible before the woman answered. "Can't complain, I suppose. It's been too long, dear. What do you say I come out there for lunch this afternoon?"

Annie stifled her impulsive answer of 'no' and swallowed nervously. "Yes, it has been. Sure. Sounds good." She glanced at the clock – which read 6:44 – and decided she'd have more than enough time to complete her chores in time.

"Don't sound so excited," the woman scoffed. "I'll see you at eleven."

Annie opened her mouth to say that 11:00 was too early, but before she could utter a syllable, she heard a click as her mother hung up the phone. She sighed, and followed suit, roughly hanging up the phone on the cradle by her bed.

Anxiety stabbed in her stomach as she realized her mother would be in her home in about four hours. The prickly businesswoman had yet to see her home in the country, and compared to where she had lived with her parents in the city, it was quaint. Annie had a feeling that she wouldn't be very impressed with her achievements, to say the least.

It had always been her father who was on her side, while her mother busied herself with her event planning business. Annie could never say that she wasn't hard working, but her skills as a mother definitely lacked warmth and usually, dedication. She was a daddy's girl, and even though she was an adult, that hadn't changed. She wished her father was coming as well, to ease the tension, but she knew that her parents didn't spend very much time together, and the chances were slim.

She sighed, and, realizing she didn't have long to prepare for her arrival, Annie pulled on a comfortable red-brown shirt and her usual faded jeans for farm work. She left the house quickly, determined to finish with her crops and animals swiftly.

Beginning with the tall tomato and corn plants she was growing on her plot, she hardly had time to admire the beautiful summer weather. It was only about a week into the season, but so far nobody was disappointed with the unfaltering sunshine – sure, it meant watering more frequently, but it made her work more enjoyable. Her crops had also grown tall very quickly, and she was optimistic that she would earn more profit this season than last.

She was diligently brushing Hanako when she heard a quiet knock at the wood of the open barn doors. Bold red caught her attention as she turned, and she was happy, if not a bit embarrassed, to see Raeger standing at the entrance, a red rose in his hand. She blushed as he approached her.

"Hey," he murmured, handing the rose to her. Annie took it, although the beautiful flower looked out of place against her filthy hand.

She smiled at him. "Thank you," she said, unsure of what else to say to his romantic gesture.

He simply smiled in return. "Are you busy today? I want to take you somewhere."

Annie subconsciously cursed her mother for having to call on today, of all days. It was Wednesday, Raeger's only day off from the restaurant.

"Yes, I'm busy," she answered regretfully.

His smile faltered a bit, but he covered it up as quickly as it fell. "Oh, what are you up to?"

She bit the inside of her cheek. "My mother's visiting."

The chef's eyes widened slightly. "Ah. And that's... not a good thing, I take it?"

Annie shook her head solemnly. "No, not really. We haven't spoken since I left home."

He nodded briefly in response. Annie noticed he looked a bit awkward standing there, so she bravely stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. He responded warmly, pulling her in and resting his lips on the side of her head. She felt his steady breath stirring strands of hair by her ear, and shivered a bit from the sensation.

He laughed softly. "You aren't cold, are you? It's boiling out."

She shook her head against his shoulder, not letting go of him. She savoured the comforting way he held her, knowing the rest of her morning would likely be exhausting. They stayed like that for a long moment before pulling away. As they unwrapped from each others' arms, Raeger grabbed her hands and held one in each of his. His eyes met hers a bit sheepishly.

"So when _can_ I see you again?" He asked hopefully.

Annie's stomach flip-flopped at the idea of another date, and more kisses with him. Their passionate kiss from the week before flashed through her mind, and as their eyes met, she noticed he was blushing slightly. She wondered if he was remembering that night, as well.

"Soon, I hope," she answered shyly and quietly, not trusting her voice to stay steady as he gently squeezed her hands in his.

She would never grow tired of seeing his handsome smile, and this time was no exception as her heart fluttered. One rub of his thumb over her fingers was enough to send her heart racing and warm her cheeks. She noticed his gaze had lowered to her lips.

"Can I kiss you?" He murmured so gently that she felt desire spike through her.

"Yes," she replied breathily, her heart pounding staccato rhythms in her chest.

His lips met hers softly, brushing gently before pressing completely against hers. She felt him release her hands and place his on her waist, pulling her close against him. A soft moan escaped her lips as he pressed her gently against the wall, causing her to freeze up in embarrassment. Raeger laughed quietly before kissing her again, briefly.

"Don't worry, I like it," he said huskily against her lips. Annie laughed nervously in response, her body feeling hot in more ways than one. He quickly kissed her one last time before pulling away. She immediately wished he was closer again as he moved away, but knew this wasn't the time or place for their passion.

"I should leave you to your chores," Raeger said.

Annie knew he was right, since she didn't have much time before her mother would arrive. She certainly didn't want Raeger to experience the displeasure of meeting her right now.

"We'll have to continue this later," she said bravely, referring to their kiss.

Her statement was met with a laugh. "Definitely," came the reply.

* * *

The front door hadn't been shut for five minutes when three loud, confident knocks hit it. Annie bolted from the bathroom, then froze, her eyes on the door like a deer staring at oncoming headlights. She took two deep breaths, then realized it wasn't helping her speeding heart, and she walked forward to invite her guest in.

Joanne stood with perfect posture, a flowery form-fitting blouse and – always the businesswoman – black dress pants covering her figure. She had golden-blonde hair identical in colour to her daughter's, although she wore it a great deal shorter, the honey-coloured locks licking past her shoulders. Hazel eyes met hazel eyes, and although one set was twenty-five years older, both were nearly identical, beautiful mixtures of browns and greens.

"Hello, Annie," Joanne said.

"Hello, Mother," Annie mimicked her casual tone, although her stomach was flopping worse than it did in Raeger's presence.

Joanne didn't need an invitation to enter the house, and walked confidently into the room, although she was clearly opposed to sitting on one of her bare wood kitchen chairs. She sat anyway, her back straight and her hands clasped in front of her on the rough table, surveying the room with obvious distaste. Annie sat opposite her, feeling as though she was in a business meeting rather than a visit with her mother.

"You look... well," the older woman stated, though not convincingly. Annie winced as she realized she must look like a slob – she was still wearing her rough jeans and baggy t-shirt, a layer of dirt accompanying the stains that adorned the ensemble.

"You, too," she murmured. "I made cucumber sandwiches for lunch for us, Mum."

The first hint of a smile found the woman's face. "Just like we used to do on picnics."

Annie smiled back, then retreated to the kitchen briefly to grab the platter from the fridge. Cucumber and cream cheese on bagels was somewhat of a family tradition, especially on nice summer days such as the one they were currently having. She set them on the table along with plates, lemonade and glasses, noting how her mother did not offer to help. Not that Annie expected her to; She always expected the worst, and was not usually proven wrong.

"Do you have any napkins?" She asked, plucking a sandwich quarter from the pile.

Annie shook her head. She barely had anything in her kitchen, let alone napkins.

Joanne did her best not to wrinkle her nose as she ate without a napkin over her lap. Annie picked at hers like a bird, feeling too nervous to be hungry. They ate while chatting uncomfortably but casually. How was life in the country? Good. The weather sure was nice. Yes, it was. Any friends? A few.

"No boyfriend, I assume?"

Annie stopped chewing, feeling a tendril of anger coil in her stomach. No matter how well she thought she knew her mother, her blunt rudeness always upset her. But did she even have a boyfriend? She wondered if Raeger would consider her his girlfriend. She decided she would leave the interpretation up to her mother, and gestured to the red rose she had placed in a tall glass of water on the counter by the window with a shrug.

Glancing over to the flower, her mother raised an eyebrow. "Is he nice?"

"Yes." Annie smiled a bit.

"What does he do for a living?"

"He's a chef, like Dad."

Joanne froze at that, then abruptly changed the subject. "Mhmm. Well, how are you doing with the farming?"

Annie narrowed her eyes slightly. "Good. But how is Dad doing?"

"He's fine, I want to hear about you."

"How's the restaurant doing?"

Joanne rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it's just the same as always. I rarely even see your father, dear, but I'm sure he's fine."

Annie knew why she never saw him – it was because she was never home, always working. She made a mental note to pay her father a visit when she got some time, or at least call him. She missed him more than anyone else she'd left behind in the city.

"How's your money situation here?" Her mother asked.

"I'm doing good, Mom."

She scoffed at that. "I can see that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Annie snapped at her mother's rudeness.

Joanne gestured to her daughter. "Look at you, you're filthy. If you were doing well, you would be able to buy yourself some clothes that don't have holes in them, or some furniture."

"These are my work clothes, why don't you-" Annie stopped, refusing to have to validate herself and her life to her mother. "I mean it, I'm doing _fine_."

"Well I would like some grandchildren some day, and I can't imagine you'll be having any in these living situations."

Annie gaped at her before snapping "I'm not thinking about that right now, Mom. I'm just trying to start my life. Everyone has to start somewhere." She bit her lip on the inside to keep it from quivering, her eyes feeling hot with tears.

Her mother nodded briskly, the subject dropped. It always went the same way: casual chatting, one of them would slip up and offend the other, and then they would just forget it like nothing ever happened. It was better than the alternative, which was actually talking about their relationship and how to fix it.

They ended the visit shortly after, and as Annie shut the door behind Joanne, she began pacing her living room, feeling too anxious to settle down. Her mother always managed to find a way to ruffle her feathers, no matter how much she told herself that she could handle it. She always thought it couldn't be _that_ bad, only to be reminded of how she treated her. She gulped back a sob, refusing to give into her, even if she was no longer there to witness it.

Tears threatening to fall, she left the house hurriedly, intending to see the one person who would – no doubt – treat her well.

* * *

The sun was still shining high over Oak Tree Town when Annie found Raeger at the trade depot, having just bought some spices from Sakura Country. He looked surprised but happy to see her, when he noticed she was biting her lip to keep from crying; She refused to cry in front of the other residents in town. His brow wrinkled in concern as he wrapped an arm around her, guiding her to the side of the plaza.

"Annie, what's wrong?" He asked sincerely, before realizing it was likely related to her mother's visit. "What did your mom do?"

Annie shook her head, her throat feeling so tight she couldn't speak. She found herself wrapped tightly in Raeger's arms, which she was beginning to realize was her favourite place to be. As she was struggling not to cry, she noticed a few people were beginning to glance in their direction, and suddenly a loud, ugly sob escaped her lips. She felt a warm hand rub circles gently on her back, and found she was calming down very quickly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Raeger asked as he rubbed her back.

Annie pulled away a bit, although his hands remained on her arms, grounding her. She sniveled slightly, wiping her eyes. She didn't want him to see her with puffy eyes.

"No," she replied. "But... Can we still go on that date?" She asked timidly.

Raeger placed a kiss on her forehead. "Of course. We might not be able to do what I had planned, since it's a bit late now, but I'm sure we can think of something."

Annie's heart skipped a beat as she wondered if he meant resuming their kiss from earlier, but she knew he was too much of a gentleman to count making out as a date. _Maybe later though, _she hoped.

She glanced at him and noticed he was lost in thought. Smiling at how cute he looked, Annie poked him gently on the shoulder.

He shook his head slightly. "Sorry. I don't think there's time to take you to where I was planning today, but I promise I will next week on my day off, alright?"

Annie nodded. "What do you want to do tonight?"

Raeger grinned, slipping his hand in hers and walking with her across the plaza.

"You'll see."


End file.
